Notes – Sticky and Otherwise

By Amy Coward

Sticky notes. Scratch paper. Receipts with notes in the margins. All of these litter my purse on any given day because I am a note person. And the person to whom I am writing is me.

There are lists of groceries. There are lists of things to do. There are reminders of appointments. They’re everywhere. My brain apparently only works if I write something down. Maybe it’s the act of writing the words and seeing them hit the paper. Maybe it’s just thinking about the task while I write. While the notes have saved me time and time again, the madness of all the snippets of paper everywhere make me look a little crazy.

Why not put the notes in your phone, you ask? Oh no, that would never work. That would require that I have the brain power to seek out the note and the reminder. That would never happen. It’s the little piece of paper peeking out at me from the pockets of my purse or side of my wallet that say, “Hey, you…you forgot something.” That’s the only way this works.

The scary part of this note business is that there are often notes with similar lists. I apparently write a list, tuck it away, think of the items or tasks again later, note them again and tuck another note in my purse. I’m beginning to think there’s some serious brain malfunction going on here. Or maybe it’s just the way my brain works.

All of these notes are not just personal tasks. I’m also a list person at work. I have lists of things to do that I refer to often and I find no greater joy than marking through the items one by one. Nothing like going through each day of your calendar and checking off completed tasks. Ahh…such satisfaction.

A former boss of mine once said, “If she doesn’t write it down in that book, (my planner) it doesn’t get done.” True. So true.

There may be no end to this habit of mine. I can just imagine in my golden years, I’ll find notes in my fanny pack to pick up Depends or arthritis medicine. Or I may have doctor’s appointments on bright yellow sticky notes all over my fridge.  But, hey, whatever works, right?

Until that time, be forewarned. If you ask me to find something buried in my purse, it may take me a moment. There will likely be explosions of paper and sticky notes while I search.

Maybe if I’d written myself a note, I would know just where to find it.

Amy Coward is a public relations professional in Columbia, SC. When she is not managing the madness of event planning at Palmetto Health Foundation, she is turning her empty nest upside down looking for fun and finding it.