Life Lesson: Due Means Due..kind of.

My life is surrounded by due dates. Let's take a gander at my "professional" life. 1. Homework packets are due on Fridays. 2. Library books are due every Tuesday. 3. Grades for report cards are due every three months. 4. Attendance is due online by 9:30 every day. 5. I'm due at work by 7:30. Let's look closer at my "personal" life. 1. Bills are due monthly. 2. Oil changes in the car are due every three months or 3,000 miles. 3. My house is due for a cleaning on what feels like every other minute. 4. Groceries are due on what feels like every other minute. 5. Baby Jango is due.....TODAY 06/06. (thanks Isabel for the great name) Anyone who knows me can attest, I thrive on a schedule. From my wee days at Resa Boren's pre-school, when something was due, IT WAS DUE. A due date meant no messing around. A due date was solid. Never wait to see what happens when a due date passes...because that would be bad. Post-its lining my life can also attest that a due date cannot be forgotten. The Wikipedia(my smartest friend) even says, when something is due...it's something that's OWED, an OBLIGATION (yes, I looked it up!). Try those words on and just see if you don't feel guilty for not meeting a due date. Alas, I return to my list. Back to the "professional" side and diving deep to what happens when a due date...dun dun dun...passes. 1. So a kid forgets his homework packet. My response: "Eh, no big. Bring it next week." Life goes on, I give them the points anyway...they're in first freaking grade here. 2. I'm not even going to lie. This one does get a little scary because what elementary librarian isn't scary? I'm going to have to leave this one at that for fear that I might conjur up images of my own elementary librarian, Mrs. Chadwick. 3. Grades. Ha. That's more of a laugh than the homework one. I'm sure these kids will whip out their first grade report card when they apply at Harvard. 4. Oh no. I forgot to record attendance. That 1 in 1,000th parent that checks to see if their 6 year old is ditching school will be devistated. 5. I get to work at 7:50. Still have a job. "Personal" life due date realities: 1. Ok, so bills are a little more iron clad than a 6 year olds homework. But, let's be honest. We've all forgotten and paid a bill a couple days late. Big deal. Maybe a late fee, or jail. 2. Oil changes are as engrained in my brain as kids calling me "mushroom" in elementary school. Ever since my ever so influential days as working at a lube tech at Grease N Go, I know, that that little sticker in the windshield means business. But, 9 times out of 10, I'm 1,000 miles over. Haven't lost a car to it yet.... 3. So, I don't get around to cleaning. What's going to happen? My house will fold in on itself and explode? Wait, that won't really happen? Kate lied. 4. So I don't get to the grocery store. Ask Brett what will happen here. He's becoming well-educated here. Hey, he's still kickin. 5. I guess I'll have to write back tomorrow to tell you what happens when this day passes (assuming I haven't eaten myself into a depressed coma.) But Baby Jango, if you're anything like me, this due date's going to be the day. (cough) (cough) It's TODAY, in case you forgot. However, if you're wiser than me, you'll realize, a due date means jack crap. Come when you want my little guy...I won't give you a late fee or a bad grade. I'll carry you around some more, and truth be told miss you a little when you're not banging around in there anymore. But don't say I didn't warn you...Mrs. Chadwick could be lurking. stay tuned.....