To Do List

Write a story about a character who is moving on, literally or figuratively.

           Here's a list of groups I'm in or are joining: I'm in Alcoholics Anonymous, Workaholics Anonymous, Caffeine Addicts Anonymous, Overeaters Anonymous, I'm a proud member of the Society of American Magicians, I'm a proud participant in three churches via Zoom, one in California, one in Chicago, and one in Virginia, I meditate six times a day, I work out for at least two hours five days a week, I'm volunteering at a cat shelter, I'm volunteering at two Assisted Living Centers and a nursing home (I hate Bingo), I'm in the bowling league, I'm working on burning and coloring gourds, I'm making paper mache in art class, I attend Weight Watchers every month, I'm involved in the leadership group to interview staff and attend a monthly meeting, I watch TV in the lounge with friends every night, I'm involved in the Traumatic Brain Injury Support group, I'm forced to clean my room and the gazebo every week, I'm working on a novel, there's making tomorrow's schedule in the planner, there's going over what I'm grateful for during the last twenty-four hours, there's crossword ads, crossword puzzles, brain games to keep me sharp every morning, study cards for a test I want to take, learning foreign languages, reading library books before the due date, showering, washing up, eating my meals to go, practicing guitar, drums, red card tricks, blue card trick, string tricks, coin tricks, juggling, tarot cards, pk, computer time, choir practice, art workshops, seeing a nurse practitioner, seeing the woman in charge of finances, texting friends, calling friends, seeing a therapist, meeting my case manager, napping (if I'm lucky), wood carving a lion, sketch book, charging phone, entering the Publisher's Clearance House, working on color by number, pills, blood pressure, listening to 6 AM by Dream Theatre, cleaning room, avoiding Allison, hugging Amanda, seperating and cleaning laundry, washing up, turn off alarm clock, plan suicide, cancel plan, poach eggs, plan shopping with budget, go over budget with Case Manager, call parents to make sure they're ok, interval training, fantacize, make bed, plug in phone, pump bike tires, write story, ESP training, TikTok, YouTube, NCIS, Shark Tank, NBC Nightly News, Jeopardy, Nintendo Entertainment System, masturbation, reading comings and goings, photographing meals and planning heart healthy meals, turn off alarm, microwave coffee, poach eggs, get muscles, redo diet, weigh myself and track weight, open crossword for thirty minute wait for daily crossword, treadmill, advertisements, morning meeting with noise cancelling headphones, escaping the stalker, coffee, eggs, yogurt, almond milk, brush, floss, mouthwash, aftershave, thing to get behind back teeth, deoderant, do schedule at beginning of week in folder, call Kristen, research art ideas, make shopping list, snacks, open art studio, music lessons, questions for music lessons, trying to sell art and figuring out when/where, figuring out where little people buy their bras, getting prn meds, getting referrals to other specialists, remembering all this shit in my head, writing down random thoughts before I forget, remembering lessons from woodcarving, asking questions to housemates, ignoring stupid housemate, cleaning bite guard, writing advise in my book, Reedsy, photo Reedsy Prompt, write article for TNS, write article for Annandale newsletter (who gives a shit amd actually reads this?), get person who is stalker to get EEG biofeedback, wishing I could laugh or cry or both (but not at the same time), organizing stuffed animals and making sure none of them ran away (bad, Shmata!!!!), missing Kristen and feeling lonely at night, missing movies to volunteer, missing friends in Port Saint Lucie and Chicago, missing out on life, buying lotto tickets and coffee at outing to Cat Rangers, using Vaseline, looking for foods to increase labido, looking for answers to crossword clues, feeling envious of those with the freedom to be in control of their money and the ability to decide where they're going to shop to get their groceries, getting a hot dog and a shirley temple, trying new bowling method, asking Dad about the bowling method, missing ice skating and surfing, dreaming of skydiving, and getting the hell out of here, going to park for pizza social, going to once in a lifetime concert which was a blast, wishing going home was a different home, missing medication that night since they don't trust me to give myself my medications, praying I die of “a myocardial infarction of the interior wall of the right ventrical”, need to get motivation or to narrow motivation, figure out one life goal instead of twenty, clean fridge, take things out of room, sweep floor, mop floor, take things back in room, clean shower, toilet, mirrors, windows, sink, desks, kitchen counter, call in work orders for wet floor I've dried three times, cable box that doesn't work, and dripping shower, wish I could bike out of here, but they're in charge of the money and police would come after me, maybe buy a gun and shoot myself, seems like I need to do everything and nothing matters, no one will remember me or remember why the objects I have are important or know the important stories behind the objects, so who cares, get a fake beer, diet cola, I'll never get laid again, I'll be like a dog on a leash with my tail between my legs, alphabitize my bookshelf, ignore call from stalker, get call from Health Services for Nursing Assistant or Shrink, just want to go back to bed from the time I get up, remember when so and so gave me such and such, but I'll be dead some day, some day soon if I keep going like this, the list's too long and I'm exhausted and it's hopeless and I'm helpless, I'm too loved and everything and everyone wants me except if they have to pay for me, it's a long night, long day tomorrow, game shows used to be better, just wanna get done, could get into glass carving or welding, or writing a real novel, but I don't have time, want a dog but no dogs can come here, even though this place is full of bitches and sons-of-bitches, no pets, sometimes it feels like a nightmare and I wish I could wake up, but when I wake up, the nightmare is just beginning, and I'm happiest when I sleep, but I have insomnia and I take pills which are controlled substance, count messed up on controlled substance, wish state would audit them and they'd lost their license, bastards, Jeopardy was better with Alex, good information, News bad but that's the news, medication delivery screwed up, bike tires need pumping but never use bike, maybe I need to, Spirit can help me if I choose a direction, but I don't know which direction, making lion, maybe, patterns and lonliness in sketch book, wrinkles and faces hard to draw, just want to sleep all the time, maybe relapse on alcohol, tobacco, or pot, maybe not, there's no future here, no hope or prayer, just a slow, long, hard death surrounded by idiot residence and idiot staff, every day, every day I pray I'll die so I can escape and be free, but my prayer is mute to God, “myocardial infarction”