Obligations and subliminal pressures . . .

11-'11  Oh, and I need to prioritize photography!  :-)

Life is full of overt obligations and subliminal pressures.  There are so many have-tos, it’s hard to figure out what to prioritize.

I need to prioritize exercise because, aside from the aerobic and anaerobic benefits for my body, the culture says I don’t work hard enough in a typical day (as if pushing computer keys and sipping coffee is lightweight!); so it’s important to spend money you can’t afford for some trainer or club owner to affirm your sweating.  Only then will your efforts be deemed successful whether you lose a stitch or not.

Which flows into my second priority:  weight loss.  Every billboard and fashion magazine tells me that pleasantly plump is certainly out and svelte anorexic is in, unless you’re in Paris where the public is demanding the banning of the “dying” look.  My inclination is to say that when you are 60 years old, have birthed 5 children, and have survived menopause, then you talk to me about losing weight.  But since I still tend toward narcissism and draw my ego health from my similarly broken peers, I still make the effort, which is instantaneously rewarded with hormone-free ice cream and organic strawberry jam! 

I need to prioritize family, and I need to prioritize work.  No brainers.  I hate that phrase.

I just read a few of chapters in The Happiness Project, and now I find I need to set aside times for fun—I mean like, put it in my day planner.  And I need to make time to de-clutter.  If God had wanted my house de-cluttered, it would have been born that way.  At least that’s the line I give my sons about tattoos!

I need to prioritize food selection and keeping up on all the documentaries that reveal to me another company I can’t support and another food group I must avoid.  And because knowledge is dour, at least I think that’s how it goes, I need to keep adding to my knowledge base to be sure I have enough grey matter left to aggravate the workers in the nursing home that will be caring for me, having lived to be 110 from all the organic produce I’ve been juicing! 

I need to vacuum, and I need to dust (I’ve seen all those blow-ups of microscopic dust mites.  Makes me want to burn my bed!)

I need to do the dishes, clean toilets and showers, and fill the bird feeders. 

I need to read in order to justify buying more books on Amazon.

I need to shop . . . well, just because.

Coffee with friends—a serious have-to (And none of those fat-free lattés either.  I just found out I’ve been robbing myself of fat that delivers fat-soluble vitamins to my needy cells.).

Oh, and I need to prioritize God and my devotional life.  Well, sorry, I guess these are not necessarily in order of greatest importance.  Maybe prioritizing God is like going to the cervical chiropractor.  You get the head fixed right, then all the other body parts fall into place.   

Oh, yeah, and I need to prioritize going to my chiropractor . . .  and paying him would be nice, too!