Dates, Times and....Toothpaste?

I find myself doing weird things in relationship to times and dates. Maybe it's a borderline obsessive-compulsive thing. I'm not sure. I'm not even sure what you would call it.

I will brush my teeth in the morning and as I put the toothbrush down, I sometimes think, "I wonder what will be different about the world when I pick this up again tonight". If I get my oil changed, and they stick one of those stickers on the car window above my head with the recommended date to get my next oil change, I might think, "I wonder what will be different about the world when that date arrives." This happens to me all the time. If I check out a library book. If I make my next dentist appointment for 6 months down the road. If I am scheduling a vacation. If I am working on a long-term project for work...doctor's appointments, birthdays, New Year's--it crosses my mind a lot.

I'm not sure why I do it. It's not like I am expecting anything earth-shattering to happen, but I can't help but look at a date in the future without having my mind go in that direction and just...wonder. It's the future. It seems so intangible. Unpredictable. I think I'm fascinated by the fact that every day starts the same, no matter what the outcome.

When you brush your teeth tomorrow morning, what do you think will be different about the world when you brush again tomorrow night?

There. I've said it. So now, hopefully, I'm not the only person who will be thinking about these things while squeezing Crest onto my brush in the morning. Don't forget to floss.