Why I Dawdle
I dawdle a
lot. Mrs. C is often upset with me
because of this.
“Would you get moving, we're
late. Why do you always dawdle?”
Actually, my
dawdling is a subconscious act. I do not
intentionally dawdle, it is my subconscious saying I am forgetting something. I may get half way out of the door but my
mind tells me, “Slow down, you’re forgetting something.” “What,” I ask my subconscious mind.
“I don’t know, just slow down.” “Well this is ridiculous, I’m late and Mrs. C is getting pissed.” “OK, but you are forgetting something.”
“Are you coming, why must you always
dawdle?”
“OK, I’m coming, WAIT, my cell phone
charger cord, my phone is almost dead!” “See, I knew you were forgetting something.”
And that is
why I dawdle. It is also why I am often
late. I just about get out the door and
I think I am forgetting something.
Sometimes I am, and dawdling pays off.
Sometimes my subconscious mind is wrong.
“Wait, you are forgetting something.” “I don’t
think so.” “I think you are, you better
dawdle and go through the check list.”
This is
where I stop and start to pat down all my pockets to see what I’ve forgotten. “Back left pocket…wallet: CHECK. Back right pocket…handkerchief: CHECK. Left
front pocket…bill fold: CHECK. Right front pocket…cell phone: CHECK. Jacket
pocket…car keys: CHECK. Shirt pocket…Cigarettes:
NO! Wait idiot, you stopped smoking years ago. OK subconscious, shut up.”
Right or
wrong, my subconscious always makes me late.
Sometimes even after I go through the check list I forget something.
“You’re forgetting
something!” “I don’t
think so, I’ve gone through the check list, I have everything and I’m late.” “OK, if you’re sure.”
I have gone
to the gym without socks, or a shirt, or even my gym bag altogether. I’ve gone bowling without my bowling ball,
left for the golf course without golf shoes or extra balls, taken the train
without my monthly ticket or arrived at work without my ID badge (the last two before
retirement). “I told you so!”
The check
list doesn’t cover everything. Sometimes
I just don’t dawdle enough.
Whatever works for you Joe. One of my strengths, or serious faults, depending on your point of view, is I'm very organized and very punctual. But on those very rare occasions when I DO forget something, it absolutely drives me nuts. The Mrs says I'm wound juuuuust a little too tight. ;)
ReplyDeleteI have a dawdler in the house ..... but without the motivation.
ReplyDeleteI've been running three times a week for years now. I still manage to get out of the house without my bottle of water once every two weeks.
ReplyDeleteYou'd think that muscle memory would make such a thing impossible, but nope.
I need to dawdle more.
I'm one of those that like to be early. It takes all kinds, Joe!
ReplyDeleteHusband dawdles and has a routine, but managed one day a few weeks ago getting out of the house without his work cell phone, his employee ID, and his favorite work pen; all kept at the same place he places them when he came home from work. How that happened, I have no idea. Now some mornings, I ask him before he leaves if he has the Big 3 (phone, ID, pen). I just find myself moving forward to do something and then realizing there was something I wanted to do before that and find myself retracing a lot of steps these days.
ReplyDeletebetty
Maybe when I get retire I can dawdle a bit...But I can say one thing I don't hurry though my life as fast.
ReplyDeleteCoffee is on
I'm rarely late. When I know I'm going somewhere the next day I get things ready before I go to bed, even checking the bus timetable for the time I need to arrive and matching it with the bus I take from home to be sure I catch that second bus on time. After all that, if I'm late, it's because the buses weren't running on time. I really always hated being late.
ReplyDeleteI like to be early but I still panic that I've forgotten something - even after checking. I am usually wrong!
ReplyDeleteSD dawdles, it drives me nuts but I try to accommodate it because I know he can't relax unless he's been through that mental check list. On the plus side, he rarely forgets stuff. Having said that, he's so concerned with forgetting stuff and of me forgetting stuff that I notice on the list that he's left me for today he's reminded me that it's Big D's birthday tomorrow - I'm not sure that it's absolutely necessary to remind me of my son's Birthday but who knows, maybe I WOULD have forgotten if he hadn't ...
ReplyDeleteMaybe you need a launch pad -- one place where you keep all the stuff you know you will need the next time you leave the house. You stop by the launch pad before you walk out the door and pick up everything that is there, no need to dawdle.
ReplyDeleteNo need to rush into things...especially now that you are retired.
ReplyDeleteHaha! My resolution this year was to walk out of the house and go wherever without first having to go back in at least once for something I forgot. Have not accomplished that yet.
ReplyDeleteI see the potential for a fortune being made here. Get a tech savvy friend or relative to invent an app for that. Press a button on your phone--golf--and it will give you a complete check list. Bowling, road trip, work,fishing, hunting, what ever. You're welcome.
ReplyDeleteI think we've earned the right to dawdle. I know I have and if I want to dawdle then I'm going to dawdle. And I do very often.
ReplyDeleteHave a fabulous day, Joe. ☺
I don't dawdle but I do seem to be getting more forgetful. We have lots of stairs in our house and I always seem to leave something upstairs when I want to go somewhere.
ReplyDeleteI don't consciously dawdle. I just have too many things to do. I go to pick up something I need before leaving the house, and I see two other things that need doing, and each of them reminds me of two things...
ReplyDeleteNot sure if what I do is "dawdling," but I have a similar routine before leaving the house. It's mostly about making sure things are shut off, closed, locked, etc. I allow myself enough time for this because I hate being late.
ReplyDeleteI dawdle room by room. I go in each room and make sure everything is off or unplugged and all windows are locked. I double check the sliding glass door and check the stove/oven and coffee maker twice. I never leave with laundry going, washer or dryer or the dishwasher. I'm a little OCD. BUT. I do put everthing I'm going to need in one place for when I'm heading out the door. :)
ReplyDeleteI live with a man that would forget his head if not attached. He can't find his keys, cell phone, wallet, etc. It is frustrating but I'm sure Mrs. C. still loves you!
ReplyDeleteI think we both dawdle - but in our own distinct special ways. He started it - and now I am starting to...of course I blame it all on him.
ReplyDelete