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Whoever invented the calendar did mankind a great favor. It's great to be able to pinpoint the coming seasons and holidays.
One thing I wish this calendar visionary would have thought through is the number of calendars that would eventually be created. At the beginning of the year stores display any number of calendar choices—calendars that inspire my need to remember (pick up children), organize my thoughts (good luck!), teach me new uses for duct tape (who knew?), encourage me to keep a written record (Weight Watcher points) and promote my local insurance agent the whole year through.
My family currently owns four of these data wonders. My personal calendar is always in my purse ready for up-to-the-minute recordings, leading me through my day with a precision that would make the White House jealous. That is, if I remember to look at it before I've completed the day's activities.
My personal calendar should coincide with the family calendar hanging on the wall in the kitchen—the one displaying miniature schnauzers. At will, the kids can walk by and without a care write something in such as "Orchestra Concert, 7 pm" or "Abbi's sleepover," not realizing the events they have set in motion by this simple act. Now, I have to get out my purse calendar and compare it to the kitchen calendar, resolving any conflicts while making new notes.
Even though those two calendars are in sync, the business calendar on my desk continues collecting times and dates without guilt or consideration of consequence. My husband says, "Your calendar said you were free on Thursday, so I invited some friends over for dinner." "Which calendar?" I ask. "The one on your desk," he says innocently. "On my desk? I never use that one for personal information." Shrugging, he nods his head and mutters something about never understanding women.
The fourth calendar is in my craft room still sealed and resting on a shelf. I love pictures, but can't bear to provide another opportunity for filled-in dates that will never make it to the other three calendars. The pressure's just too great.
Pam and Kathy's 7 Tips for Keeping a Calendar
- Use a pencil. This will keep calendar changes easily seen.
- Designate a master calendar for the whole family. Everyone writes their events on this one calendar.
- Place the master calendar in an accessible area.
- Review the calendar before you go to bed for easy morning planning.
- Block off a day in the week for "catching up."
- Use stickers to make dates stand out.
- Double check at year's end for any important calendar information to transfer to a new one.
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