I don’t know about the rest of the parents out there, but with school about to start, my calendar is once again my best friend. It’s my constant companion even in the summer, but during the school year, I can’t live without it. And with all the changes this year (new baby, DH working second shift, me working part-time instead of full-time, DS#2 playing football, along with all the other stuff our family does), my sanity may depend on my calendar. Well, my calendar and a well-mixed cosmo or two with a few of the other moms every so often.
And apparently I’m not the only one. I’m not saying everyone around me has a datebook. I’m saying they all count on me and mine! I have a few girlfriends who will even call me at work, late at night, early in the morning, because they can’t remember when something is scheduled but they KNOW that I will have it written down and they can count on me. Some of these same people also will tease me about how organized I am. And all I can say is: WHAT THE HELL?!?! How did your lack of organization turn into my being your personal secretary? And how dare you tease me about it? Ever heard the saying, "don’t look a gift horse in the mouth"?
Yes, I’m one of the more organized moms in our little circle. I can be a little obsessive at times, but in all fairness, I live in a house with two dyslexics, one of whom (DH) I am almost certain is also ADD. Lists are a must in our house. And I do have a number of calendars. A large desk-blotter calendar on the frig. An academic-year weekly calendar (the monthly academic calendar last year ran out of space for all the details too many times) that I carry with me. And this year, an online Google calendar has been added (because it’s easier for DH to call me from work that to write anything in HIS datebook, and DS#1, the middle-schooler, will appreciate another reason to be online). My calendar includes school and sports events, appointments, what’s for dinner, and other reminders. And yes, the paper calendars are both color-coded by person, because I live with a houseful of males and the color thing works for them because they can’t be bothered to read all the notes (the Google one is only one color because it would require multiple calendars to get different colors, and I’m just don’t have THAT much time).
Here’s my question for anyone reading this: why is this so unusual? What happened that a person keeping a detailed calendar is not the norm? I can’t imagine having kids and NOT having a calendar to keep track of everyone and their events and who needs a ride when. And on the plus side, my calendar actually helped when I was interviewing for jobs recently. When a potential employer asks if you’re organized and good at calendar management and you whip out your color-coded, full of notes calendar, they tend to smile and check off the "Yes" box, because apparently many people don’t know how to write things down and keep track of them anymore....
If you’ve got any insight as to why it seems so unusual to be organized nowadays, please share it with me. I don't like the feeling that I'm all alone on my island here.
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