Jam
The Queen said “The rule is, jam tomorrow and jam yesterday–but never jam today.”
“It must come sometimes to ‘jam today.'” Alice objected.
“No, it can’t,” said the Queen. “It’s jam every other day: today isn’t any other day, you know.”
–Alice through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll.
Each Sunday I stare at my calender to mentally prepare for the week ahead. I note when events are happening and how the occurrence of various events require me to shift my schedule to accommodate them. Last Sunday I looked at the eventful week ahead and noted that the next week on the calendar was pretty empty. I thought “If I can just survive this week, then next week will be relaxing.” The only trouble is that the relaxing empty calendar week is a mirage. I had this exact same thought last Sunday and the Sunday before that and the Sunday before that. As I approach those empty spaces on the calendar, they inevitably begin to fill up with events and Things To Be Done.
The continual filling of my schedule is frustrating because I was supposed to spend this month being support personnel for Howard so he could work on the book. I was going to keep the house clean so that mess would not intrude on his brainspace. Instead I find my days full of things which I did not schedule, but which I am required to attend. I could skip out on some of them, but only at the expense of disappointing children. Today Gleek’s class has a Kindergarten Nursery Rhyme Party. I get to go and sit to listen to 26 kindergarteners lisp their way through nursery rhymes. As a reward I’ll be handed sugary treats that I neither want nor need. Next Friday Kiki’s class is going cross country skiing and she desperately wants me to go as a chaperon. I’ve never been on a field trip with Kiki, ever. Next year she’ll be in Junior High with many fewer field trips. I’m running out of chances. Besides cross country skiing is outdoor exercise. I should go. Then there are cub scout events, and art club, and business meetings and family coming into town…
Don’t get me wrong, all of these things are worth doing. I am deciding to do them rather than skip them because they are worth doing. I just wish that there wasn’t this unending pile of events which I didn’t schedule.
Can’t I ever get to the empty week this week? I want jam right now.