Plans

I have this glitch when it comes to planning.  I like the idea that having a plan will somehow assure me that things will go smoothly, even though I also believe planning too much is the death of spontaneity and creativity.  See: glitch.

I believe the line that life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans is true, and I know that no amount of planning can make up for the magical and mysterious things that happen out of the blue. I'm in a place right now, though, where the comfort of planning is very seductive.  See, when you're planning everything--how people will react to something you say or where to go for lunch or how to spend a Saturday--you don't have to focus on being afraid of just letting things happen.

Blind faith and trust that all will be well can be pretty elusive, and not knowing what's coming down the pike can be terrifying when you want so much for things to be a certain way.  But, if I've learned anything over the last year, it's that life can surprise you by how completely differently things can turn out from your original, well, plans.

So, I'm going to satisfy my urge to plan by making a few little ones in an effort to curb my (at times) OCD-ish need to plan everything.  Here's what's on deck:

In honor of National Poetry Month--April--I'm going to participate in National Poetry Writing Month.  That's a poem a day in April.  Will they be any good?  No telling, but I  feel better when I'm writing, even if what I'm writing is less than stellar.

I'm going to try to set aside a little money each month for my niece's college fund.  If I can manage even $20 a month, between now and her high school graduation I can come up with $5000, and there's no better gift I'll ever be able to give her than the gift of education.

This summer I'm not going to work.  I usually take a summer job, but not this year.  I want to work on me, making myself as strong and healthy and happy as I can be.  To that end, I plan to take Zelda to the Dog Park early in the morning Monday through Friday, and I'm going to start swimming laps in the city pool.  I want to spend my afternoons reading and writing.  Nights...well, I'll leave those open to the universe.

Wish me luck.