German. Today.

People are always asking me if I am going to teach my daughter German. We speak German a few hours each day- mostly I speak to her and she doesn’t speak back since she doesn’t talk yet but maybe she will benefit from it like I did as a child. My father taught me the really valuable German phrase “Morgan Morgan nur nicht Heute, sagen alle faule Leute.” Or “Tomorrow, Tomorrow, not today, that’s what the lazy people say. As a child it was frustrating and I felt a little trite. This is also the man who foolishly quoted the scripture scout line “Whine Whine..” thinking he was encouraging us to stop complaining when we simply finished the phrase with the next line; “...dad, we think you’ve lost your mind.” Despite some misguided quotes and advice the German stuck with me. There is no excuse for putting off the things you have to do. I always knew how to tell people I loved them and a popular idiomatic expression compelling us all to work hard. Except yesterday I read an article that made me realized I didn’t believe in my treasure of knowledge from childhood. It was about dieting. Many get caught in the trap of procrastinating the day of their eating repentance. I will start eating fiber one and salad tomorrow, we often think. I will give up ice cream forever starting tomorrow. But tomorrow doesn’t ever come. The German phrase would have us let go today and get on with life already. The only problem is that I have no intention of letting those things happen tomorrow or today. So I have decided not to give all my favorite things up. I like to store up candy in case I need it someday. Every day I want that candy and I am secretly happy when my friends eat it even though I haven’t. It is security. I know that I want it today but I also know that I will want it tomorrow. And the next day… really every day I guess. I intend to eat it, just like so many other intentions I have. In some cases though, procrastinating really is the way to go. I might call my dad up and complain about a bunch of things I need to do, just so he’ll l give me the same old advice and I can get him. I finally thought of a comeback- only a quarter of a century later. Right now though I think I will go eat a brownie. Today.