Monday, November 2, 2009

Lashings of conscience

One of those funny-slash-ironic life lessons has occurred. The single item I've ever (in our eight years together!) convinced George to borrow from the library has gone missing. Oh it's been returned, and for weeks, but has slipped from the library's return bin without being logged and is now being fretfully searched for in fifteen libraries across Kansas City. I will not tell him. Even if they never find Ultimate Wiring. This is the opposite result of the behaviors I was trying to foster by encouraging his lone book interest. And, yes, I will stop trying to change behaviors other than my own. I should know it's not possible to wield transformative powers over others when my self-control has proven spotty at best.

Last week's change list has inspired several new behaviors, including more bendy yoga practice. A positive. Also, I've been carrying around this small notebook and doodling notes inside all week, keeping track of interesting bits for future columns, author excerpts, schedules. For this week, some follow-up or short steps on the ladder of change:
  • Write a sample book review for professional website, in the style of Bookreporter.com, to be considered as a featured fiction reviewer
  • Continue work on freelance site overhaul
  • Develop a reading list for a prospective local book club
To be honest, I've practiced zero Spanish since writing the word in last week's goals. It's scandalous. My last contact with the language was buying the dictionary and promptly losing it on my desk under the novels I'd rather be reading. Now that I've cleared the desktop, it may still take a week or two before the guilt sets in. I set out my flash cards and dictionary, so there'll be a direct line of vision when the lashings of conscience erupt.

Poppy was sick today. Maybe she even has the bird flu. Who knows? It's an excuse to postpone not only my trip to Walmart, but most of my to-do list items for today. Hopefully tomorrow I won't be so lucky.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I hate it when the library loses a book that I know I returned! I still won't return books to Ross-University Hills Branch of DPL ...