Creeping Calendar Crud

I spend a lot of time staring at my calendar. In the first place, I'm trying to make sure I don't forget anything.

But also because I keep trying to understand it, how it works. I'm sure many of you consider that a completely inexplicable statement. That happens to me a lot, and not just when I'm talking about the calendar. 

I've mentioned before that time can seem to act like a funhouse mirror--stretching one way shrinking another. Lately, it seems to have developed magnetic properties.

I often begin a week with an appointment on every day. Occasionally a double. This makes me feel as though I'm not going to have time for all the other stuff I want or need to do. It doesn't even matter that some of the dates are fun. I don't just enjoy lunch dates with friends, they lift my spirits after such a long stretch of not seeing anyone. And time with my grandson is golden. But those notations do add to the cluttered appearance of my calendar.

So I'm looking at a week, or sometimes two back-to-back, that are jam-packed. I know I'll get through it all--there usually isn't a second choice. If I postpone something, it still has to happen sometime.

But there's a light at the end of the tunnel, or in this case, week. The week after the mess I'm looking at is fairly empty. Maybe one or two entries. I feel better, knowing that I will soon have some time to myself--to think, to plan, to veg.

Suddenly, that super-busy week is over and it's Sunday afternoon. I look the calendar expecting to see those empty blocks ready for me to fill with favorite activities. And I see ... entries. Words on every day. It seems as though my calendar has attracted all these new appointments on its own. I don't remember scheduling so much stuff. I sigh. It's going to be another crazy week.

But the following week looks good. In fact, right now, there's only one appointment.

I can't wait to get there!

My husband has asked me why I let myself do this week after week. As he points out, it's very rare for a week not to have "attracted" several appointments. And I'm always surprised.

I think of it as eternal optimism.