I am at the airport. I am now list attuned. There are, for example, the arrival and departure times at the airport. Flights come and go, a steady stream, day and night. It’s late afternoon, and the boards are full, multiple flights leaving from here, Seattle, to Anchorage. My flight is leaving on time.

I just checked my backpack in at the boarding desk. I failed miserably this trip in that I ended up carrying an over abundance of heavy items, mainly books. I sent two home with Eleanor who will send them to me. One is Joan of Arc – I want to bookmark Vita Sackville West’s thoughts about voice. I also parted company with a book that I was reading, one on the history of trails. And I acquired a book today, one entitled Riding from Within, which is about horseback riding and Tai Chi. Now I have been reading this one. It is quite good.

Kathy Lockerbie's horse Katie (nevermind)

I’ve also acquired a handful of magazines, some ace bandages (body wraps), and a lot of BCHA information. I was also given a bamboo handled toothbrush. Think about it – if we each discard one toothbrush a year in this country, that’s over 300 million pieces of plastic.

There may be an apple at the bottom of my back. The security people must have seen it there but didn’t call me on it because the lines were so long. We were moving in accordion cordons.

Yes, X marks the spot, and I am here, soon to be elsewhere. Humans, we are always soon to be elsewhere. We are peripatetic.

A door alarm just went off. I watched as everyone looked over in that direction. We as humans are always on a state of high alert in airports. Flying isn’t safe, and the industry has capitalized on this. Ironically, it is just as horrific to die with your feet on the ground.

I now have three notebooks with lists. My lists were of no interest to the security people. If they were – a woman standing at the sensor, examining my notebook, would suddenly be taken in by one of my lists. She stands there, riveted in place, wanting to know what thing to do is next. The narrative suspense builds then collapses as her supervisor tells her to stop dawdling. She has a quick retort, which is “lists don’t conceal, they reveal.”

No, my lists (compiled) will never make it onto the NY Times list of notable books. However, my book of lists might find its way onto this list. And that would be ironic, a book of lists listed on a best seller list. And, maybe, just maybe, someday, I will be flying on an airplane and the person next to me will be reading this very entry. I will, as she reads this very sentence, then give her the thumbs up sign – and this will open the door to what will be an engrossing conversation about of all things, lists.

Next: 123. 5/3/18: The ABC’s of Listing – Y, You