A Forgetful Wonder

You'd forget your head if it wasn't attached!

Every year on my school report, my teachers consistently commented on 3 things. The first and most common was something along the lines of 'Lauren talks too much in class'. I am pretty sure this has also been indicated to me during work appraisals...within the past few years! Obviously didn't learn that lesson. The second normally stated something along the lines of 'Lauren can be distracting to other students'...meaning that when I was talking too much (see point #1), it was to the detriment of my fellow classmate's education. And when my fellow classmates were trying their best to concentrate, I would be there in the ear, whispering much more interesting stories. Magically though, even though I was so busy talking and distracting, I still managed to pick up enough to pass through school and occasionally even do well, depending on the subject and how interested I was.

These two statements on my reports weren't actually that bad. I tried my best to convince my parents that they were actually qualities that would help me in life. An ability to communicate with many, a way with words, an influential style. But the third statement, I hated seeing that written down again and again and again.

Lauren needs to be more organised. She often forgets her homework, her permission slips and her textbooks. 

Or something to that nature. Year after year after year. And did I ever learn? No! And it wasn't that I had been deliberately rebellious and had decided not to complete any homework...it was actually that I had truly forgotten it was even there. I didn't ever have any kind of excuse planned, because it wasn't until the teacher asked for it that I remembered there was even anything to be done! I actually think that I still have an overdue music assignment, because I just kept forgetting it. Oops!

You know that feeling you get when you ask someone for the time, and then fail to listen so you need to ask again in two seconds? And they look at you incredulously because they had literally JUST told you!? I get that look all the time. Poor Greg (so many of my sentences in my blog start with Poor Greg) gives me this look when I ask him for the 2nd time in five minutes how work was today. 'You just asked me that!?' 'Oh! Did I? I wasn't sure if I had asked it out loud, or if I just thought to ask it.' I called my mum just last month to ask her if she was on the Ghan train holiday she had planned....but she told me, for what was probably the hundredth time, that her holiday was in July and she was simply at the coast. Oops again! The people in my life must suffer terrible frustration.

So, why don't you buy a note book or a calendar so you can write this stuff down, Lauren? I HAVE! I have spent so much money on little pocket calendars, diary's and notebooks, personal organisers, whiteboards, and pin boards....my biggest problem is that then you have to learn to use them! I can't even remember to use my phone calendar properly. Again, I find myself needing to apologise to all who I have stood up over the years, and also to those I have double booked. My apologies, I was born this way and am struggling to change!

It has reared its ugly head recently because Lucy's pram has a few little flaws that need ironing out and I have been putting it off again and again...only to finally realise that I have put it off too long: it is no longer covered by warranty!!! Grrrrrrr! Why oh why didn't I sort it out when I originally noted these issues, back in September. What on earth was I waiting for? A miracle to heal my pram? Someone else to do it for me? Why do these administration tasks seem so scary and overwhelming to me?

I can get up in front of 500 people and sing. I can teach a room of 20 adults for a week and I can write a five day a week blog for all to see. But I struggle to file our household paperwork. I can't stay on top of the important dates in our foreseeable future, and I wish someone else would look after all the forms you have to complete when you want the Government to help you pay for childcare.

But as always, I think the answer is simply to do it. I do feel better when I have done the filing, almost like I require a pat on the back or a little badge that says Happy Little Filer! I do like feeling organised and knowing when I have plans in advance before that reminder pops up the morning of said event. I certainly prefer to have items fixed within warranty time frames. I'm kicking myself for that situation.

But still I resist. Because secretly I fancy the idea of living like a hippy, of throwing caution to the wind and living day to day.  

To those of you out there who enjoy filing, I will never understand you.

Ciao for Now, 

LG, Life's Good!