Before smart phones and reminder apps we wrote our shopping and to-do lists in a special notebook or on a piece of paper stuck to the fridge with a magnet, next to a list of emergency numbers. The same for appointments and other reminders like birthdays and holidays. Those are still reminder lists that most everybody uses but these days they are embedded in our handheld devises with notification sounds to make sure we didn’t miss a grandchild’s birthday or a dentist appointment. 

Some of us have lists of movies to watch, books to read. There are even so called ‘bucket lists’ full of dreams and wishes of places to visit and things to do and people to see. The term comes from a 2007 buddy comedy written by Justin Zackham with Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman, two terminally ill men on their road trip with a list of things to do before they ‘kick the bucket’. I wanted to know if Camp had any such lists.

He looked at me as if I asked him if he was on drugs. 

“I don’t do lists. Not shopping lists or bucket lists. It’s all in here,” he said, tapping his temple. I still have the capacity to remember when I have a doctor’s appointment or Muriel’s and Sophie’s birthdays. And as you know I’m no great fan of celebrating events that we had nothing to do with, like birthdays or religious holidays. Getting born and growing older is not an accomplishment but a fact of life. I can do anniversaries and university grads and admire anyone who sticks to a goal and gets it done.”

“What about shopping lists? To-do lists?”

“Muriel does the shopping and I do things when they come up. If the sink is plugged, I plunge it, if something breaks, I try to fix or replace it. I don’t repair things that work and I don’t think about chores, I just do them, like taking out the garbage every Tuesday.”

“What about when people ask you to do things, maybe order a book for them or have a look at their manuscripts or if they invite you to a party a couple of months in advance. Don’t you make a note of these dates and events?”

“Not really. I usually ask people to remind me if it’s something to do in the future and I don’t get invited to a lot of parties. I let Muriel handle the social calendar and I’m constantly reminded and prompted on bookstore events like fairs or upcoming releases.”

“I talk to a lot of retires, like at the monthly discount events at the grocery store and one of the most asked questions is: What do you do all day long now that your time is your own and you don’t have to go to work anymore? You know what I often hear? I don’t know where the time goes and I seem to be busy all the time. I have a list as long as my arm of things to do. Some have even told me that they have a list of lists, in order of importance or immediacy. These people never run out of things to do, never sit idle and twiddle their thumbs or watch daytime TV or god forbid, read a book in broad daylight.”

“Well, first of all I’m not retired yet and once I am, I’m sure as hell will not make a list as to what to do with my time. I have so many books to read and reread, walks that I want to do in the middle of the day like to the pub on Thursday’s like you. I look forward to doing nothing. Now that is an art. To do nothing and not feel guilty about it.”

When Vicky came around with our refills I had to ask. “Do you make lists of stuff to do or buy or go?”

“I have a reminder app but you two are on my hit list of favorite people.”

“Wow, how did we deserve that?”

“By being who you are. Dependable, predictable and always interested in my opinions and wellbeing.”