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A Weird Thing


A weird thing happened today. I was driving the puppy to the park because we like to take walks there, and I passed a sign, one of those big yellow ones on black legs with moveable letters. It was directing people to a Christmas shop that will open Saturday December 10 for some special sale or something.

I was turning a corner and needed to watch traffic, but the words "Saturday, Dec. 10" caught my eye, and I said to myself, "But Saturday is the 11th." It is, isn't it, I thought to myself. The orchestra will be performing our Christmas concert on Saturday, and I have been focused on it for weeks. I started by putting together the newsletter plugging it, and then going to a show at Kent Stage to help promote it, and then I moved onto planning our involvement in the parade and then onto a cookie thing for after the concert—I'm going to taste test some Christmas cookies at a new bakery tomorrow!—and then onto practicing my part for the concert and then rehearsing, too.

So, you see, it's a big day, and nearly everything I've done or thought about doing for the last several weeks has led to it. I've had it in my head for what feels like forever, and I've known the date on the calendar. Suddenly, seeing it on the big yellow sign set me back because it's the 11th, right?

I kept driving to the park, wondering if I'd screwed up. What if I put the 11th on the newsletter, and maybe the error was missed in proofreading? What if I have been wrong all along, thinking it's the friggin' 11th when it's really the 10th? But I'm at the park, and I'm walking the dog and can't do a thing about it! I can't even check the newsletter to see if I'm panicking for nothing!

Finally, back at home in my warm house, I get the puppy settled in, and I sit down at my mactop and check my work. Yes, Saturday is the 10th, and apparently I've known that all along. My work is accurate, and I have nothing to worry about. Nothing, that is, except this business of suddenly changing the date in my head for no apparent reason. Nothing, that is, except doubting myself almost to a minor frenzy.

All is well, though. The big yellow sign is correct. My newsletter is correct. The big date I've been working toward is right where it should be. Weird, eh?

Here is the newsletter, by the way. We'll be sending out an issue about a week ahead of every concert on the schedule.

Comments

dive said…
I wonder how many people will turn up for that sale on the wrong day.
3:17 AM
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