What's On Your Agenda, Today?

Listening to NPR this morning I heard the same word twice within 2 stories.

According to the first story, tomorrow some "conservative Christians" are holding a "Day of Truth" to protest the "gay agenda", which is apparently being advanced today by a "Day of Silence".

The very next report (which I personally think should have been first but whatever) I heard the President explain that his new press secretary, Tony Snow, has the job of explaining his "philosophy, priorities and the actions taken to implement our agenda".

Then I realized, I need an agenda. I usually have a "list or outline of things to be considered or done", which is the first definition of the word in Webster's. But the word "agenda"in the news this morning was used in the context of the second, weightier definition which is "an underlying often ideological plan or program".

Most of us have a plan. I have a plan. Today's plan goes something like this: "I'll blog, then I'll put away the things I ironed yesterday. After that I probably should do the prep work for dinner and then I'll do some editing on the book. The Child needs to be picked up at 2, gotta leave for the game by 4:30 so I have time to give The Dog a bath. Spouse will meet us at the game, we'll have dinner after. Excellent. Good plan".

Some individuals go a step further. They have a purpose. A purpose is never mundane. You might get up every morning because you have to let The Dog out. That's not really a purpose so much as the start of a plan. A Purpose is philosophical. It is a guiding principle which directs your plans. I'm not sure I have fully articulated my purpose but perhaps it is best summed up in the words of the great Carole King: "You've got to get up every morning with a smile on your face and show the world all the love in your heart".

But consider the phrase "She's got an agenda". That sounds serious, maybe even a tad ominous. An agenda is a plan on steroids. I plan to fold the laundry. But if it's an agenda then I'm on a clear cut path to not only fold my laundry but see to it that everyone else folds their laundry. And they are going to fold it the way I want them to because that is my agenda. And if they don't like it then I'm going to get my press secretary to go out there and explain it to them again and tell them why they need to fold laundry my way (it's best, trust me) and why they are unpatriotic and possibly French if they don't.

I'm going to get started on my Plan. If I stay on task I can squeeze in time to develop my Agenda. In case I get to that you might want to check out how to fold a fitted sheet. This will help me advance my Agenda more quickly. Thank you.