Turning Pages

April 2, 2005. The last hunt.

Starting in 1991 or '92, I used a "Priority Manager" time management system. It's basically a book. Aaron would relate that burgandy colored book to my life. He was probably dramatically opposed to keeping a schedule for himself. The simple act would make him too much like his Dad. Oh-know!

I liked that book. Flipping pages I could recount for my own amusement, or for the edification of the IRS as the sales person told me, all of my past activities. (at least the ones I cared to record)

Priority Manager was nearing the end of it's days in April. An entry for April 28 of 2005: All day TProducer Training. I was converting to the much hipper, less convenient system of an internet based organizer. Instead of lugging a cheap 8 1/2 by 11 inch binder with removable pages, my hands would be free, and the technology expensive. A year later, my hands are free, and I've not purchased the expensive device. In fact, maybe I'm more like Aaron-not handcuffed to an organizer.

For fun, I picked up my now disgarded planer and paged through the months of 2005-January, February, March, April, and May. Same as a book, the planner tells a story; where I was, who I was with, when I was there, what I did and way. There are no entries for months after May.

A couple of entries stand out:

January 24, 12:30 - 1:30 Jeff Ryan for AJ to discuss Horizon High School
May 6, 10:30 AJ- my office. Get money for his Birthday.

Tonight Cathy picked up a photograph of Aaron. According to the book, the event was April 2, 1:00 Pheasant Hunt, Royal Flush with Tim Kritter etc. One of several precious photos from that is at the top of this page.

The entire month of May had appointments logged. Things to do, commitments to keep. Living life. Nothing out of the ordinary.

For May 10th my schedule looked like this:

7:30 - 8:30 Fitchburg
11:00 - 12:30 Shorewood Hills
2:45 - Jeff K at his office
3:00 Elderberry

At 2:45 I was wrapping up something in my office, and then would be on my way to Jeff's office. I was late, and just getting onto the Beltline West when the cell phone rang at 2:52. My first thought was it would be Aaron returning my two calls to him. One from the morning and the other from an hour earlier. He had programmed my phone to show his mug when he called me. No face appeared. Who could this be? I wondered. The 266-???? number diplayed suggested it was somone from a government office.

Life frozen in time. 2:52 PM, 5-10-05.

Turn the page. Backward please.

Tom