C O D

We are beginning a New Year and I have a confession to make. I have a condition that you probably won’t find in any medical book but it happens about this time every year. It is a seasonal malady that affects me just before every New Year. It is called COD and it has nothing to do with fish or “cash on delivery”.

Acronyms are used for many things these days but in my case, COD stands for Calendar Obsession Disorder. It starts around November and continues into the New Year until I have way too many calendars. I have a calendar in the kitchen, the office, the music room, and in my purse. I also have one of those “stick this to the dashboard” calendars for the car and in the garage I have a “cover the whole wall with this one” calendar that came from a farm store. I even have a calendar in the bathroom. That one is right above the bathroom scales and it taunts me every time I look at it because I haven’t written down those pounds that I’m supposed to be losing. I have flower calendars, scenic calendars, patriotic calendars, religious calendars, and a computer generated calendar with family pictures on it.

I want you to know that it’s not all my fault that I suffer from COD. First of all, it is the time of year when many people give calendars away, thus encouraging my obsession. I try to limit the number of calendars I have but there are those who encourage and enable my condition. Just the other day I was at the bank and the teller held out a calendar and said, “Have you gotten one of our calendars yet?” How could I refuse, she was so nice and the calendar did have pretty pictures. I stopped by another store that offered me a pocket calendar that fit perfectly in the side compartment of my purse. On the way home I stopped by the grocery store and as I was about to leave with my flour and tea the cashier said, “Would you like a calendar with that?” Well, of course, what is a cup of tea without a calendar to look at and the calendar even had recipes on it… perfect for the kitchen!

At this point, I decided the best thing to do to avoid a full-blown COD breakdown was to just go home. I started for home with my three or four calendars in tow, figuring that wasn’t too bad for a day in town. After all, the calendars were free and I didn’t actually buy any of them although that one in the store with the horses on it seemed to be whinnying my name.

As I pulled in the driveway, I stopped at the mailbox and guess what was in there? Yes, you guessed it…more calendars!

Since blaming others for our own actions has become a national pastime it only seems fair at this point to let you know that COD is surely caused by those who offer the calendars. So you see, it isn’t entirely my fault that I suffer from Calendar Obsession Disorder. It is the funeral homes, banks, feed stores, car dealers, various charities, the president, and let’s not forget the post office that delivers some of them.

The good thing about COD is that I do have the calendars to keep track of everything. I write down birthdays, anniversaries, appointments, meetings, trips, and many other things on them, but…now which calendar did I write them on?

I have already warned my children that COD can be hereditary. I seemed to have gotten it from my mother. Her calendar contained such things as when the cow went dry, when the old hen was setting, and when the potatoes were planted.

COD can be almost as bad as CCD. You know… Catalog Circling Disorder. That’s when you can’t look through a catalog without a pencil in hand to circle the items that you want but probably can never afford to buy, but that’s another story.

I suppose we all have our obsessions and having lots of calendars or circling things in catalogs isn’t necessarily a bad thing and could even be beneficial. There is something therapeutic about taking down an old calendar and replacing it with a brand spanking new one. Last year’s calendar is a little tattered and all marked up with all the appointments and plans that I had in 2007, while the new 2008 calendar is clean, fresh, and new. It has beautiful scenic pictures on it and empty squares that represent fresh new days ahead without a mark yet on them. I keep hesitating to write anything on it. Maybe I need another calendar to figure that out, I could call it my “decision making calendar”. Whoops, there goes that COD kicking in again!

Seriously, as we close out the old year, it’s a good time to look over that old 2007 calendar and see how we spent the last year. On the old calendar I see some opportunities missed and dates forgotten that should have been remembered. Thinking about that brings me to a time of reflection on how I could have done better.

It is as if the calendar is asking me what I am going to do with the days of 2008. What are you going to do with the days of 2008?

“Only one life ‘twill soon be past,
only what’s done for Christ will last”

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,
where moth and rust destroy,
and where thieves break in and steal.
But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven,
where moth and rust do not destroy,
and where thieves do not break in and steal.
For where your treasure is,
there your heart will be also”
Matthew 6: 19-21

~ Pamela Perry Blaine ~
© January 2008
pamyblaine@blaines.us

About Pamela:  She enjoys writing, music, and country living.  She writes"Pam's Corner" for the local newspaper and many of her writings have been published on the internet as well as in several books.

Pam says, "I have loved music and writing ever since I can remember. I play piano at church and I'm an avid reader. One of my goals is to be able to write for my children and grandchildren so special memories will not be forgotten."  She has a CD entitled "I'll Walk You Home".  If you would like one, they are available by freewill donation.  More information as well as a clip from the CD is on her website at http://blaines.us/PamyPlace.htm

[ By: Pamela Perry Blaine, Copyright © 2008 (pamyblaine@blaines.us) -- submitted by: Pamela Blaine ]