When I was eight, my parents took my older sister and me out to run errands. Their strategy for suburban strip-mall domination? Divide and conquer.
I went with my mom. I’m not sure if it was the aggressive parking job or the novel of a list my mother had created for herself, but I knew my parents meant business. Two hours later, my mother and I (and a mountain of shopping bags) reconvened with my father in our then trendy, mint green Ford Expedition. Looking at all we had accomplished, I realized that my mother was a list making genius.
As we pulled onto the main road, I realized the back seat was nice and spacious. All the bags were in the trunk and I had the whole bench seat to myself, completely sibling free. In fact, it turns out the entire car was sibling free. I basked in a few blocks of hypothetical “only child-ness” and then presented the question to my parents.
“Where’s Blair?”
As we flew back to the strip-mall to retrieve my forgotten sister, I couldn’t help but wonder if my mom’s list had an item that said “Don’t forget Chelsea. She’s your daughter and shouldn’t be left in front of a craft store for the rest of her life.”
This moment made me pretty keen on lists. Perhaps it’s because I’m “my mother’s daughter.” Maybe it’s because I now have a crippling fear of children being forgotten in public spaces. Or maybe it’s because lists just seem to work in every aspect of my life.
I’m an intern. This means that I am doing anything from updating social media accounts to cleaning out the ever so randomly filled Windsong refrigerator. I think somewhere in between contacting entomologists for butterfly displays and searching for holiday decorations in September, I found that my daily to-do list was my best friend. I can honestly say I enjoy a few oddballs being thrown my way. Thanks to Windsong I am now an insect and salt water taffy expert and while it might not be listed at the top of my LinkedIn account, I reserve full bragging rights in both departments.
With all of the crazy things I get the opportunity to do, one thing remains constant: the ritual of creating my morning to-do list. I get to work, pilfer through my emails, check the calendar and hammer out a beautiful, handwritten masterpiece. It helps me get a visual on what my day will look like. And I’ll admit, there is just something about adding that check mark next to a completed task. Even if that task is: “feed the ants in the ant farm.” If that isn’t enough, it is true what they say, “out of sight, out of mind.” Just ask my dad.
Intern Life Series is written by Chelsea Gue. Gue is new to the video production industry and is learning a ton of interesting stuff.
