agenda

Have you ever been asked, “What’s your agenda?”

When someone uses words you don’t use, do you just continue to wonder what they mean, ask them what they meant or look it up? I have tried “wondering” and “asking”, but just got the cool glance like I must be playing stupid. Nope, I am not playing. I am sincere. Who uses that word to describe a person? I thought it was used to list the items to be discussed at a meeting or one of those Vera Bradley Agendas ( like a personal calendar with places to write notes on dates).

Finally, I got tired of being accused of having an “agenda”- not a Vera Bradley Calendar and not one that I print out before the non-profit meetings.

So, I checked Merriam-Webster. What a surprise! Agenda is defined as 1. a list of things to be considered or done  and 2. a plan or goal that guides someone’s behavior and that is often kept secret or 3. an underlying often ideological plan or program <a political agenda>

Good grief! Who has time for that? Well, now wait a minute. Don’t most behavioral scientist state unequivocally that “behavior is purposeful”? And, don’t most of us believe that actions follow thoughts? “As a man thinketh, so he is.”

Hmm…so, I think I understand why I am asked this question repeatedly. My actions do not line up with any particular plan or goal and this person can’t quite figure it out. Well, join the crowd, neither can I! If I am not worried, why are they?

When I asked my son if someone asked him, What is your agenda, what would that mean?  “What are you planning to do?” Pretty straight forward. Why not just ask me that?

What is my agenda? Answer: I don’t know what I am planning to do, until I decide. I don’t decide until its either pressing or I am inspired. Either way, there is no way to put a prescribed time line on either of those points. Do I need to develop an agenda or a plan of action? Not at this late stage of the game. I think its my nature, so why change that?

These docks don’t have a boat or an agenda. There are no obvious plans. They are waiting and ready. That’s me!!