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On Our Way To Never
Every time I dispose of an empty soda bottle or throw away a newspaper, I
acknowledge the fact that I should recycle, in fact that I want to recycle, but
at the same time I would not recycle right now--I would recycle next
time. You see, the recycling bin was all the way outside and I, well, I
was inside. So long as I told myself I would recycle later, I would have peace
of mind.
When I'd walk into my bathroom, I would notice the clothes on the floor, the
hair in the sink, the ring around the bathtub; all things which I would take
care of later.
I soon noted how I often noted that everything: going to the gym, eating
healthy, writing that best seller, heck, even shaving my legs came later.
In saying "later," I meant later that day, later tomorrow, or later
next week. When later would arrive I'd say later again, so much so that I
might as well have been saying "never." All the things that I
wanted and noted to do was put off until never because never was the convenient
way for me to live.
As Americans we mean to accomplish things and that intention
counts somehow. We even feed the belief that we are accomplishing our
"later" list by sticking one toe in the water: we go on one workout,
eat one apple, write one page of our best sellers and think we are well on our
way. Yet most don't stray far from the later list absent the combination
of motivation and pressure. Soon to be brides start the diet and exercise
regime they have been contemplating for the past ten years under the pressure
of wedding pictures, but after the wedding and pressure is gone, they find
themselves back at square one.
So what's the solution? We must ask ourselves what happens if later
really becomes never and if we are okay with the consequences. Until
Americans realize that for the most part later equals never, a lot of time will
be spent putting tasks off instead of achieving them.
Goldie Tompkins
E-mail Goldie Tompkins
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