Add ‘priority check’ to your to-do list

When people ask me how things are going, my initial reply anymore consists of one word — busy.

I typically have more than enough to do and several more possibilities should I manage to tame my expanding lists.

And I’ve noticed I’m not alone. Friends I used to speak with on an almost daily basis aren’t able to return phone calls or e-mail correspondences as quickly as they once did. And when they do manage, leave it to me to miss my chance to talk to a live person. More than once in the last week I’ve resorted to leaving a minimum two-minute rambling this-is-what’s-up-with-me soliloquy on an automated machine.

But little and often unexpected things can have a way of forcing us to think about priorities and remind us that life won’t always be as complicated as we imagine it to be.

The latest “little thing” for me was an unfortunate meeting with someone in a grocery store parking lot. Or rather, it was an unfortunate meeting between our cars. Thankfully any damage was minimal and no one was hurt in the grand scheme of things — except maybe a slice of my own ego.

A dent, scratch and some missing paint was what it took for me to have to rearrange my otherwise typical, busy day. I wouldn’t accomplish everything I had set out to do and that was evident. When an insurance agent convinced me to take my bruised car in for an estimate, my otherwise solid plans had to be rearranged again. When I received my estimate for my vehicle’s latest wear and tear, it made me consider why lately “busy” is the best I can come up with.

This month ushers in a completely new season. But Halloween hasn’t happened and yet, I’ve already seen Christmas merchandise. It’s no wonder I feel rushed when even my surroundings nudge me in the direction of several months from today.

If I want to, I can get caught up in the coming hustle and bustle. Or I can take another look at the calendar and plan to acknowledge a day that won’t require much planning at all, just some of my time.

So, here’s a reminder to all my busy friends and neighbors who may be inclined to accidentally miss a day without costumes or decorations. Family Day, a day to plan on eating dinner with family, is Sept. 24. I know I’ll be participating.

Although I can’t say I have a foolproof plan to be any less busy, I know hearing about my siblings’ first week back at school or taking the time to share a meal with my family helps me feel like the road ahead may be smoother than I think.

Needless to say, I’ve already decided that to me, the minor damage to my vehicle isn’t worth several hundred dollars to fix. But a check up on priorities is sometimes as necessary as an oil change.