I suppose that in order to shine you don't have to have a calendar, but the historian in me says it's a great way to track where you've been and maybe even catch a glimpse of where you are headed.

Tomorrow I am doing a two-hour workshop for forty residence life staff members on the power of my beloved Planner Pad.  In preparation, I pulled my Planner Pads from storage last night and ended up taking a ninety minute stroll down Memory Lane.

I decided to look at this day - August 4 - over the past 19 years, when Planner Pad first entered my life.

1991.  I recently graduated with my Master's Degree from University of Georgia and was working at Nine West selling shoes on commission.  I needed to earn lots of money fast, so I could take it on my Semester at Sea voyage.  The ship left on September 12.

1992.  Bright and early at 9:00 a.m. I was attending a meeting at the University of North Carolina - Wilimington, where I dutifully helped plan training for Resident Assistants.

1993.  I was still planning training, but this year I was working at Miami University as an Assistant Director.  The next year (1994) on this day, I spent the evening packing so I could leave the next day for my sister's wedding in New York.

1995.  Still at Miami and still wrapped up in training staff.  Only this year August 4 was on a Friday and my friend Nancy and I planned a trip to Border's that night.  Riveting, I know.

1996.  This year represented the next big change.  August 4, in this year, I was working at Southern Methodist University and - since it fell on Sunday - the only notable thing I wrote down was that father-in-law's birthday the next the day - August 5.  My fiance and I broke up soon after.  1997 and 1998 were somewhat uneventful, though on August 5, 1998 I left for a Student Affairs retreat.  I always remember them as being fun.  It helps that I loved most of the staff I worked with at SMU.

1999.  On this day in 1999 not so much.  But tomorrow - August 5, 1999 - Richard, Ricky, and I moved from Texas to Georgia so I could begin work on my Ph.D.

2000.  I took Ricky to Arizona, so we could visit my college friend who had three boys all around his age.  This is the same college friend who last year learned she had breast cancer.  Fortunately she is in recovery now.

2001.  Still recovering from the Statistics final I took the day before, Friday, August 3.

2002.  It's a Sunday, but no rest for graduate students.  On this day eight years ago I was outlining answers to questions I might be asked on my Comprehensive Exams and studying for 4.0 hours.  I had a happy face sticker on that day, so apparently I exercised too!  Darn, I was productive.

2003.  Graduate school is done and not only have Ricky, Richard, and I relocated to Louisville, I am fully subsumed in meetings.  At 4:00 p.m. I had a meeting with prospective graduate intern - Katie Olsen.  Two weeks ago - and seven years later - I received a birth announcement from Katie.  She just had her third child.

2004.  At 1:59 on this day I received a phone message from a faculty member at University of Louisville inviting me to serve as adjunct in the Higher Education program.  It was an opportunity I happily took and enjoyed until I moved in fall 2007.

2005, 2006, 2007 were marked with meetings, presentations, and luncheons. Most notable was that my bosses birthday is August 3 - the day before.  It was his birthday party that brought me back to Louisville a few weeks ago, for those who remember my posts about Cotton Candy and getting roasted.

2008.  Cheryl and Amy, check your calendars.  It seems on this day in 2008 we had a Highlowaha phone meeting.  Those new to our site won't know that Highlowaha was our site's name before becoming the House of Shine.  Do either of you remember what it was about?  According to my calendar, my blog post on this day was about Patchwork.  Surely that will bring a smile to some of your faces.

2009.  Is it bad that only one year ago today I had an IMT meeting and that 365 days later I have NO idea what that stands for?  It was also Crazy Hat Day at Matthew's preschool.  That, I remember. 

So what did I learn?  Time flies.  Not every day is chock full of activity, but time marches on and before you know it you've moved eight times and had two children.  Some of the names and events that seemed so important sixteen and seventeen years ago are only faint memories today.  Some of the names and events from sixteen and seventeen years ago turned out to be transformative, still today.  Meetings are traps that all too many of us fall into.  One thing leads to another.  Matthew's Crazy Hat Day is way more important than any old IMT meeting.  If you are lucky, friendships and collegial relationships persist.  And...

August 4, 2010.  Today's schedule of events, however subtly, will contribute to the next nineteen years of my evolving life story.  In the year 2029, it will be interesting to look back and see how.

How about you?  What's on your docket for today and what part of it will you consider important nineteen years from now?

Shining off until tomorrow...