I'm a fan of making lists. As I write them out, I take the time to really think of all the tasks that need to be accomplished, writing the items or chores out in the neatest print, so that as I cross off each finished task I can admire not only my own perfect handwriting, but also my own sense of responsibility in finishing what I had set out to...
You don't actually believe any of this do you? Did you know that gullible isn't actually in the dictionary?
I AM a fan of lists, that much is true, but finishing one? That rarely happens. My grocery lists stay crumpled in my purse, forgotten in that black abyss, as I meander through food aisles, wondering what I meant to buy. My to-do list items remain uncrossed and my homework assignments stay scrawled somewhere within the pages of a notebook I don't think to open until the day of class, consequently also the day that assignment was supposed to be done. I make lists with the best of intentions, and someday I plan on finishing one, or three... a certain specific three.
A few years ago I printed out three lists, each having to do with a specific literary genre. The lists include the one hundred greatest classic, fantasy and science-fiction novels ever written, according to the web site they came from. I have always loved to read but I readily admit that my taste in literature tends to lean towards fluff. I have read fun, flirty, and simple feel-good novels that have entertained or inspired me, but never challenged my mind in any constructive way... except, of course, the aforementioned accrual of polysyllabic vocabulary.
This last summer I finally started crossing works off the classics list and I feel a sense of accomplishment every time my pen slashes across that page. The Picture of Dorian Gray, Little Women, and Wuthering Heights, these are just some of the titles on the list, all stories I've been familiar with but had never before explored on my own. I am now truly addicted to these great works of literature and fluff has lost its easy and pleasant charm. It make take me years to read every book shown on these lists, but its an endeavor worthy of my time and dedication.
So Goodbye random Duke of This and Duchess of that, I've enjoyed my time with you, but I feel its time we take a break... and hello Edmond Dantes, I look forward to planning your revenge with you... I'm great at making lists.
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Haha. I loved this! I also enjoy the feeling of putting a nice slash through an item on a to do list. Especially when it's a list that is actually enjoyable to work on, like a reading list. I still need to get these lists from you, so I can see how many I have read and get some good book suggestions.
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