Ten minutes to write. Less time to read.

On September 4, I wrote about my new approach to the daily list. Now, only five days later I realize there’s more to it than what I wrote then.

Then I divided my daily list into two categories: the meat and potatoes and the gravy. The former must be completed on the assigned day to keep life functioning without issues; the latter is optional.

It sounded like a great plan, a prioritizing of daily tasks. But I’ve realized that gravy consists of items that come to mind and need to be written down before they evaporate. In other words, gravy is my memory’s assistant.

It doesn’t mean that today is the deadline. Nor does it mean I have to finish it soon. Rather, it means I have to check on something maybe two weeks down the road. Or in October. But if I don’t commit it to a list, I might forget.

Forgetting is the real reason behind the gravy list. And, at my age, sometimes the gravy is more important than the meat and potatoes.