Posted April 30, 2014, 7 a.m by Pam Young
I hope you were offended by the title of my blog. I wanted your curiosity to get the best of you, and I hope that’s why you’re here. By the way, I don’t think you’re a ding dong, in fact it’s an acronym that I knew
Procrastination really is over-neglect! Put something off once you’ve postponed it, put it off twice you’ve re-postponed it, three times, it’s just plain ol’ neglect. Neglect is such a harsh word (abandonment, desertion, carelessness and mistreatment) and over-neglect, well that’s even worse. I think some master procrastinator probably came up with the word procrastinate (delay, postpone, dawdle) to make himself feel better for over-neglecting. Whatever you choose to call it, the remedy is always to DING. Do It Now Girl.
Recently I over-neglected a project involving my chorus. I was supposed to have my costume altered with cuffs, sequins and a different neckline. I knew I had a month before a performance in our “new” costumes, so I kept putting it off because it just didn’t sound fun! Then, three weeks before the performance we were told to wear our costumes to rehearsal along with full stage make-up! My costume was still on the table in my bedroom, so I went to chorus rehearsal without make-up and wearing street clothes. I was the only one out of a hundred women! (The reason for a full dress rehearsal is for the costume and make-up committees to check off each singer as ready for the big performance.
I was embarrassed, so the next day I fixed my costume (it took one hour and it was rather fun) and at the next rehearsal I decided to go in full stage make-up and in my costume. I knew I’d be the only one, but wanted to do it on purpose to paint the fact red that I had procrastinated and wanted to make amends. It turned out, I had an extremely busy day and didn’t have time to put full make-up on, so I didn’t follow through.
I can’t think the words, DING DONG, without having that memorial tune sung by the Munchkins over the death of the Wicked Witch of the West, come to mind. So my little Munchkin imagine something looming over your head that you have to do and keep putting off, and see it as that wicked old witch. I guarantee if you keep over-neglecting her, she’ll get bigger and bigger and wickeder and wickeder.
Before you take care of that witch, maybe you’d like to join me in singing The Wicked Witch is Dead. (I know by singing this you’ll be procrastinating, but hopefully when you finish, you’ll want to dig in and DING.
Ding Dong the Witch is Dead!
Munchkins: Ding Dong! The Witch is dead. Which old Witch? The Wicked Witch! Ding Dong! The Wicked Witch is dead.
Wake up - sleepy head, rub your eyes, get out of bed. Wake up, the Wicked Witch is dead.
She's gone where the goblins go,
Below - below - below. Yo-ho, let's open up and sing and ring the bells out.
Ding Dong' the merry-oh, sing it high, sing it low.
Let them know The Wicked Witch is dead!
Mayor: As Mayor of the Munchkin City, In the County of the Land of Oz, I welcome you most regally.
Barrister: But we've got to verify it legally, to see
Mayor: To see?
Barrister: If she
Mayor: If she?
Barrister: Is morally, ethic'lly
Father No.1: Spiritually, physically
Father No. 2: Positively, absolutely
Munchkins: Undeniably and reliably Dead
Coroner: As Coroner I must aver, I thoroughly examined her. And she's not only merely dead, she's really most sincerely dead.
Mayor: Then this is a day of Independence, For all the Munchkins and their descendants
Barrister: If any.
Mayor: Yes, let the joyous news be spread
The wicked Old Witch at last is dead!
Okay, you put off the witch thing to sing this song, and I suspect it put you in a good mood. Now go tackle that wicked old witch and you’ll be able to declare her morally, ethically, spiritually, physically, positively, undeniable, reliably and most sincerely dead! DING DONG!
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Question: Do you have a chronic chore you over-neglect? What is it? Share with me in the comments.
Love,