Are you forgetful? Google “forgetful” some time if you want to see a different photo of me than my profile picture.
Yes, I personify forgetfulness! And it didn’t start when I applied for Medicare, either.
As a child, we lived in the boonies. Five miles from the nearest paved road. When we made a trip into town, we had to be sure we got everything we needed, because it was an expensive trip, and not one made frequently.
It’s why my Uncle Sam’s trucks almost never got below half a tank of gasoline. He would fill up every time we went to town.
But, it didn’t pay for my Aunt Polly to send us together. She would give us a list, and tell us exactly which stores to go to for each item. If she didn’t go with us, it was just about a guarantee that we would forget something. As Forrest Gump would say, “Me and Uncle Sam were like peas and carrots.”
So, I wasn’t surprised when I was running errands last week, got to Walmart, and saw mineral spirits on my list for things to pick up from Lowe’s. I’d just come from Lowe’s! And, if that’s not bad enough, mineral spirits was the most important thing I went to Lowe’s to get!
Arrrrgggghhhh!
On that same weekend’s Saturday morning, creativity was flowing as I sat on our house’s screened cedar deck. Things to write, things to build, things to do, the ideas just kept coming.
Including at least one that made me think, “That’s such a good idea, I know there’s no way I’ll ever forget it. I don’t need to write that one down.”
Later in the day I was wracking my brain, “Wasn’t there some really good idea I had this morning?”
Maybe it works that way for you, too. I combat the syndrome by writing everything down. If there are ideas I have for future projects or ways I want to improve the shop, I put them on this whiteboard.
As regular readers know, I can’t throw anything away. That would be wasteful and my Uncle Sam would roll over in his grave. So, when I needed part of a whiteboard for another place, I used the rest of it here as my project to-do list.
Whiteboard for future ideas/to-dos. Otherwise I’ll forget. You think you’ll never forget such a great idea, but you can!
The whiteboard isn’t my only remembering tool. I keep scratch paper in my breast pocket for writing down important tasks and ideas.
And, the Notes app on my iPhone is especially handy because you can use dictation (voice-to-text) to make your entries if you’re not a fast thumb typist.
No paper? No whiteboard? No pen or pencil? No problem! Put it on your Notes app!
Oh, and, yes, the idea finally came back to me and got added to my to-do list.
Jim Randolph is a veterinarian in Long Beach, Mississippi. His earlier careers as lawn mower, dairy farmer, automobile mechanic, microwave communications electronics instructor and journeyman carpenter all influence his approach to woodworking. His favorite projects are furniture built for his wife, Brenda, and for their children and grandchildren. His and Brenda’s home, nicknamed Sticks-In-The-Mud, is built on pilings (sticks) near the wetlands (mud) on a bayou off Jourdan River. His shop is in the lower level of their home.Questions and comments on woodworking may be written below in the comments section. Questions about pet care should be directed to his blog on pet care, www.MyPetsDoctor.com. We regret that, because of high volume, not all inquiries can be answered personally.
