Disorderly Conduct

There is a falsehood about me amongst my friends and acquaintances. People think I am quite organized. Where they got this idea I do not know, but this misconception keeps perpetuating itself. Maybe because I always wear a matching pair of shoes, well the shoes match each other, not always the outfit. If the shoe criteria makes me organized then the bar is set pretty low and there are hobos that are also "organized". As a professional volunteer, I get asked to be on different committees, head up various activities, and generally be an organizer of stuff. Since in general, nothing dissolves into a giant mess and things (by the grace of God) tend to work out fine, I get credited as being "the organized one". If I were to rank organization in my skill set it would not be high on the list, maybe a 5 out of 10. Don't ask what my "10 "skill is, I am not sure, but it is not organization. What I have come to realize is people mistake my ability to keep many plates spinning at once for being organized. Really my ability is to control chaos. Not stop chaos, just keep a lid on it. Plate spinning may actually be the skill that scores a 10 in my skill set, but its no party. Sadly, plate spinning does not translate into tidy closets, balanced check books, clutter free counters, or anything that looks really great from the outside. Plate spinning gets stuff done. The presents get wrapped, the carpool gets covered, the dinner gets made, the activities planned, and somehow the men with the white jackets pass by without knocking on the door. This constant circus act translates into people thinking they are meeting a first class organizer, but truly they are seeing a sideshow freak in action. Most people live in place of constant plate spinning, the to-do lists that never seem to end, the job, the family, the house, the activities...lots of plates, and little time. And desperate need for matching running shoes, so all the plates can keep spinning.