EASY TO FORGET

To keep my life in order, I make lists. My sister, Leslie, recently blogged about the necessity of lists in her life, so I'm tempted to pass off the affinity/need for lists as hereditary. As kids, we always had lists of chores, lists of thank you's to write, lists, lists, lists. All of us got into the habit and now, even Evan does it on a regular basis (I think). Conditioning might be a better word than hereditary.

I exist at home, at work, in my mind by lists. What do I need to accomplish today? This week? This term? This year? Who do I need to see today? Tomorrow? This year? Soon? All of these questions are answered by lists found on post-its, corners of napkins, legal pads of paper, smaller pads of paper, documents on my computer and emails in my inbox.

Having recently begun my first job and being newly moved in to an office that can only be described as haphazard, I've been a bit forgetful of things not on lists. Things that shouldn't be on lists during normal times of life, but that perhaps should be at this transitional time in my life.

Last week, I wore my aunt's opal ring from her days in high school. I love this ring and the matching earrings and necklace that my aunt and grandparents got for me. I never leave the ring on when I wash my hands, being that opals are so very delicate and sensitive to soaps, etc. A few minutes before I left work that day, I washed my hands, taking off my ring and setting it beside the sink. I dried off, arranged my clothes and left, without a single, fleeting thought toward that ring.

As I de-jeweled myself at home, I realized the ring was not there...it was nowhere. It was not in my pockets. It was not in my gloves (why would it be there? I don't know, but I looked nonetheless.). I started panicking. I called my colleague who was still at the library, asking her to check the bathroom. No ring. But a note, saying the director's secretary had found a ring.

I still had to wait until the next morning before I was reassured the ring she found was mine and regained possession of it. I was immensely relieved and yet I feel on edge every time I wear a ring now. Every time I wash my hands and remove my rings. Will I forget it this time? What if I don't have pockets in which to place the ring while washing my hands?

I've been thinking that I wish I had some sort of device or something like a mental post-it note that is always before me. Upon which I can write the things that I must keep in mind all of the time - like, where is your ring? Is it on your finger? Did you leave it by the sink? Or in another vein, do you have food in your teeth? Or Are you really listening to the person you're conversing with?

My brain is too scattered for me to stay on top of everything. I'm an organized person, but moving, starting a new job, and beginning an entirely different life from anything I've ever experienced has stifled my usual organizational mania, my ability to stay on track. Just enough to keep me on my toes, I suppose.