unbalanced

So, having the day free yesterday, I ran errands. I used to be able to just grab everything I need, walk out of the house, and get it done in one fell sweep. Yesterday I had to sit down and write out what I needed to do, run around the house and gather all the bits (drycleaning and shopping bags and honey jars and sick laptops) then plan my route and number the errands so I don't forget something . . . I felt like I was trying to get all the laundry out of the dryer and over to the folding table without dropping a sock or walking on a dangling sleeve. I felt like I had a big pile of packages all jumbled together and I was trying to carry them without rational stacking. Things kept trying to slip away. Even though neither laptop could be healed, and I didn't find the rayon cord I was looking for, I got to the end of the day with everything checked off the list, and a profound awe for the juggling skills I have always taken so much for granted. I keep saying that my brain is like a steel seive, but it's getting more so. And the fear of losing things panics me into not seeing them when I look for them. I didn't lose that important receipt. I just didn't see it in the file. I didn't lose the paycheck. I just didn't see it in my wallet. Thank goodness for pencil and paper, and the time to take a deep breath. Thank goodness for routines and habits that get things done without conscious thought. Thank goodness for always putting things in the same place so I know where to expect them to be. I'm beginning to understand why elderly people hate to be moved or have their schedules upset. It's so easy to get lost.

It was a successful day, and I'm off to a perfectly routine day at work. Hope yours is perfectly routine as well!