(More weird lines in the sky when no jets have flown overhead)
Lists are a regular tradition at the end of a year. People list things that happened, celebrities who died, accomplishments, goals for the next year, resolutions, words to live by, on and on. . .*
I’ve been thinking about truths of life. Writer Anne Lamott has a famous list, and you can hear her explain them on a very good TED talk. Her list made me think about my own.
Here are some truths that I know and can count on.
- Life is better with a cat.
- Almost everything in life is a mix of good and bad—life may be better with a cat, but eventually the cat dies; social media is a sewer, but it is also a place to keep up with your modern (and often puzzling) nieces and nephews.
- The two best ways to spend time with friends are working on a project together or taking a walk.
- There are no perfect friends; no single person can meet all your needs.
- The more stuff you own, the more stuff breaks (and gets lost, dirty, or messed up and wastes your time in maintaining it).
- Gardening is war.
- “Upgrade” and “update” are euphemisms for “complications”.
- “Educated” and “smart” are not synonyms; knowledge does not equal wisdom, and information does not guarantee discernment. In the same vein, common sense has become quite uncommon.
- My approach to sweets: if it isn’t chocolate (dark), it probably isn’t worth the calories.
- Beauty is a need, and it is something that has no danger of an overdose.
Sincerely,
Your List Lady AKA Central California Artist
*A list from the past before I started doing those end of the month Learned Lists (because search engines like links in blog posts): 2016
6 Comments
I so enjoyed listening to Anne Lamott. I didn’t realize that she and I share the same birth year. I have a list of things that I hold true as well.
Don’t look for ministry in faraway places, God placed you where you are to minister those in your circle.
Don’t compare, you never feel better regardless.
If you marry someone thinking that they may change- trust me on this- they don’t.
When people get older and get a little confused or demented, and whatever type of person they were becomes magnified. If they were happy, they are lots of fun, if they were grumpy, not so much.
I agree with you Jana, gardening can be a war. But every spring I am doing a happy dance to see the plants come back. Yes, sometimes I forget where I planted things, but it brings me such joy year after year.
You can’t make someone else change. Shoot, I can’t convince myself to do the things I should.
We all aging each day. Accept it.
If you hear the gentle whisper to do something kind, to write a note, to say a prayer, to make a phone call. Do it. Even if it feels silly.
Just because your talent doesn’t match someone else’s doesn’t mean it’s not significant.
I’m at an age now where the runway is not quite as long. That’s a good thing, because I realize that the days aren’t endless and I need to get my rear in gear and do the things on my list while I can.
Happy New Year to you and Michael
Anne, thank you for sharing your list. Those are brilliantly wise insights!
#1-9 “Right on, right on!”
#10 Not sure about this one. A person can be charming, witty, wise, discerning, helpful, etc. but not necessarily “beautiful.” Unless you’re talking about the audio and visual arts, then yes, you can never get too much beauty there!
Thank you, Sharon! About #10: human exterior beauty is fairly low on my list of what qualifies as beautiful, because “pretty is as pretty does”. Mostly I am referring to landscape (natural and cultivated), colors, surroundings (architecture, interiors, etc), behaviors, order (neatness versus clutter), sound (music, falling water, ocean waves, laughter, birds, purring cats, etc.).
Have you ever made such a list?
It’s interesting–I’m a very organized “J” person, but I rarely make lists unless it’s to remember what I need to purchase or what errands I need to run. But I do like and appreciate your “What I Learned This Month” posts. It’s just that I would not be able to remember on December 31 what I learned on December 3, unless I kept a running list throughout the month.
P.S. How much snow on the ground in 3R?!
I do keep a running list, but sometimes I need to do some hard thinking and remembering to put it together at the end of the month.
No snow in Three Rivers, but it is a brilliant day with lots of snow on the mountains.
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