April 18: "Three for a Quarter," Johnny Cash, "Old Country Music"

Billy Collins shows his age . . . 

Three for a Quarter

by:  Billy Collins

I was forced to listen to a lot of country music when I was a kid.  Every morning, while I ate breakfast, I had to endure the local country station on the radio.  It was the only thing my dad listened to.

So, I got very familiar with all the old country tunes that only cost a nickel to play on a jukebox.  Hank Williams.  Willie Nelson.  Johnny Cash.  Loretta Lynn.

Perhaps that ages me, too, just like Collins.  All the 1980s songs that define my high school days are now considered vintage or golden oldies.

Does that make Saint Marty a classic?

Old Country Music

by:  Martin Achatz

Every morning,

WJPD on the radio

with my Lucky Charms.

Then I hopped a train

to school, hunted down

the dirty S.O.B.

who failed me in Trig,

and shot his dog.

September 8: That's His Problem, List Making. Johnny Cash

A little exchange between Ford and Zaphod . . .

"What did he say?" whispered Ford in astonishment.

"He said it isn't easy being a cop."

"Well, surely that's his problem, isn't it?"

"I'd have thought so."

Welcome to my Sunday, which has not gone exactly as I had planned.  Now it is your turn to say, "Well, surely that's your problem, isn't it?"  Yes.  Yes, it is.

I am a list-maker.  Every morning, I sit down to write out my to-dos.  This morning's list was not very extensive, but, unlike yesterday (when I finished everything on my list), I have accomplished next to nothing today.  In fact, this blog post is the last thing that I will be able to check off.

You may think that sounds more than a little bit anal retentive.  I like to think of myself as simply organized.  It's the way I keep myself from going insane every day.  My daughter has inherited my penchant for lists.  Friday night, as we were eating supper together, she and I actually shared our list-making strategies and the satisfaction we feel when we can actually cross off every item on our daily lists.  My wife listened to us, shook her head, and said, "My God, she is her father's daughter."

So, today, I had six things to accomplish.  I was only able to get to four of them.  The rest will be moved forward to tomorrow's list.  I hate going to bed, knowing that there are already items that need my attention the next day.  However, I cannot avoid it this evening.

If you, like my daughter and I, suffer from this list affliction, take heart.  You are not alone.  In fact, you're in pretty good company.  Writer Umberto Eco once said, "The list is the origin of culture.  Wherever you look in cultural history, you will find lists."  Benjamin Franklin was the father of to-do lists, including a 13-week plan to "practice virtues such as cleanliness" and temperance.  Johnny Cash's daily to-do list was pretty basic:

1. Not smoke.
2. Kiss June.
3. Not kiss anyone else.
4. Cough.
5. Pee.
6. Eat.
7. Not eat too much.
8. Worry.
9. Go see Mama.
10. Practice piano.

Johnny Cash did pretty well for himself.  (By the way, Cash ended that list with a note to himself to "not write notes.")

I don't know if I've made my case for the importance of list-making.

Saint Marty will have to make a list to try and figure that out.