Listin'

I don't know how anyone organizes their thoughts anymore with so much coming at us incessantly, like those cratered space rocks in Asteroids. I was never all that good at that particular game, presumably due to the same poor reflexes and lack of hand-eye coordination that doomed my chances to be the next Bo Jackson or Michael Jordan. Is poor hand-eye coordination to blame for my lack of progress in life as well?

With the barrage of sensory stimulation coming from TV, the Web, my iPod, my cell phone (it has the Web, a walkie-talkie and a camcorder!), and the world at large, the only way I have found to cope is to make endless lists in lieu of actually performing the tasks on the lists.

The end of December is the time for listing. After all, Santa makes a list, kids make out Christmas lists, parents make shopping lists and everyone creates lists of the best worst and most pointless sensory stimulation from the past year.

In addition to making these lists, I read other people's lists, find fault with them and endeavor to make my own list to better their list. Making lists comes easy to me, as it does to most people.

My good friend Terrence makes lists for a living, lucky bastard.

List is one of those words that means two completely different things, almost as if 'true' could also mean 'false'. I could list my tasks for the day as a way to organize my life. Or I could stray from a set path, listing off to one side or the other.

Around this time each year, people make a list of New Year's resolutions to set their listing lives back on course.

I think my New Year's resolutions will be two:

1. Stop listing

2. Continue listing