January 21 14

I’m meeting a friend for coffee today. I’m up, I’m dressed, and save for the messy top bun, I’m almost mostly presentable.

And I’m looking forward.

Mostly because I don’t have to cancel.

Because I’m kind of a chronic canceler.

I’d like to say that it’s through no fault of my own, but it’s entirely my fault. I own it. You see, my life is busy.

Oh there’s that awful buzz word—busy. Apparently, we aren’t allowed to say it anymore because everyone is busy. But, I’m not saying that my life is any busier than yours—I don’t play the busy olympics. I don’t participate in any one of these types of “I’m more xxxx than you” games. Except for maybe the Jon Hamm and Mindy Kaling olympics—I love them more than you do. But it’s really just a fact—a fact that’s necessary to provide context to this conversation. So, yes, I’m busy. I said it, dammit. My life is amazing, it really is, and it’s filled with dance and swimming and auditions and preparing for auditions and driving to auditions and spending days on sets and baseball and more dance and skating and more skating and a more-than-40-hours-a-week day job and a side job and, well, the cooking, cleaning, homework overlording, cuddling, playdate arranging, the wearing of many hats, if you will.

I chose this chaos and I wouldn’t trade it for a boring old life. Ever.

But sometimes certain things trump other things.

 

“Mama! My history diorama project is due tomorrow and I still need that fake grass you promised me and an extra poster board and I can’t get the printer to work to print out my report—I’m pretty sure it’s out of ink.”

“Well, I guess I will cancel my coffee date so we can go to the dollar store and go and get some more printer ink.”

“Mama! I have an extra dance practice tonight and it goes until 10pm. I need you to drive me and pick me up.”

“Well, I guess I will cancel on my book club.”

“Mama! My stomach/head/heart/toe/back/throat aches.”

“Well, I guess I’m not going to the movie premiere.”

“Mama, you look really tired.”

“Well, I’m just going to close my eyes for five minutes because I have to head downtown for an event in a few….zzzzzz……”

“Mama, I lost my cast at school. And I forgot my lunch on the kitchen table.”

“Well, I guess I’m canceling my lunch meeting.”

 

Things come up. Work emergencies, family emergencies, homework emergencies, dance emergencies. (And sometimes I simply collapse on the couch at 7:30 at night and then can’t get up.) I have every intention of making it to every thing you invite me to—coffee dates, lunches, events, movies. Trust me, there’s nothing I enjoy more than eating a meal without having to trade with a small child who doesn’t like what she ordered. And there’s little I like more than getting together with ladies who love books. And I want to see movies that have nothing to do with Walt Disney. And I really, really want to see the preview of what Target is showing in its spring line. And I would love to just sit and enjoy a coffee.

But sometimes I just have to cancel.

But today! Today I’m going for coffee with my friend.

chronic-canceler

I’m just not picking up the phone or checking my work email before I go. Just in case.

 

 

 

 

 

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  1. Yay! I like the “I don’t play the busy olympics” I’m going to use that one.

    Comment by Sandy on January 21, 2014
  2. I really refuse to play it. We’re all busy. FULL STOP.

    Comment by ali on January 21, 2014
  3. At least you have good excuses for cancelling. Mine are usually that I’m lazy or hungover.

    Comment by Kristabella on January 21, 2014
  4. Well, seeing as I told the entire internet that I have never been drunk, I doubt anyone would buy my hangover excuse.

    🙂

    Comment by ali on January 21, 2014
  5. True, but since you have never been drunk, it wouldn’t take much for it to happen and give you an epic hangover! 🙂

    Comment by Kristabella on January 21, 2014
  6. I used to be busy, now I would love to be busy on the days my body doesn’t hate me.

    Comment by AlwaysARedhead on January 21, 2014
  7. Wait .. you can buy ink for printers at the dollar store?

    (p.s. why can’t I tab out of entering my name? The cursor goes to somewhere on your page .. but not the email)

    Comment by Sarah on January 21, 2014
  8. I imagine that you can’t…they were two separate thoughts. Dollar store for diorama supplies and another store to go and get ink cartridges 🙂

    not sure what you mean about tabbing out?

    Comment by ali on January 21, 2014
  9. lol .. you got my hopes up!

    umm .. well, you enter your name for a comment and then tab to go to enter your email but the cursor doesn’t go to the email box it goes somewhere else… I’m in Software QA, what can I say…)

    Comment by Sarah on January 21, 2014
  10. I can SO relate to this. When the invitations come to whatever it is I am putting on my calendar and totally looking forward to, I’m thinking about the escape from my everyday, overloaded to-do list.

    then, the reminder goes off on my phone to alert me that I now have one hour to get to the event and I haven’t showered or eaten…

    Oh, I can SO relate.

    Comment by Sondra on January 21, 2014
  11. If everyone just came to me I would never cancel. Signed I love being in my sweatpants.

    Comment by Sharon on January 21, 2014
  12. So THIS is why I never get to hang out with you. I see.

    (I am a chronic canceller, too, but it’s generally my fault for overbooking myself, or forgetting. Because I have a terrible memory.)

    Comment by Alex on January 22, 2014
  13. Wait…being busy is not a sport.
    Damn it. I was certain that I nailed a spot on the Canadian team.
    Dreams=crushed.
    It is hard to make time for much of anything when you have mini dictators

    Comment by Kimberly on January 22, 2014
  14. Well only thing that matters is the you do make time no matter what for youself and a least other person.

    http://www.ddnprint.com

    Comment by Kevin Vandelane on January 23, 2014
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