Festival Plan Spreadsheet Has Entered Review
The spreadsheet has eleven rows, four columns, and a conditional formatting rule nobody set up.
Microfiction
The spreadsheet had eleven rows.
Ananya sent it. It had a column for who was coming, a column for which day, a column for transportation, and a column labeled "notes" that had three entries: "confirm with Rahul," "check parking," and a single question mark.
Priya opened it on her phone. She scrolled down. The question mark was in row nine, which was her row.
She added her name to the "coming" column and left the transportation column blank because she was not sure about the bus yet. She changed the question mark to "TBD."
She received a reply from Ananya within four minutes. The reply said: "What does TBD mean for transportation? Should we plan without you in the car?"
Priya typed: "I'll confirm by Wednesday."
It was Monday.
Someone coordinates a large outing with a shared plan because spontaneity feels risky when everyone is busy. The event was wanted and often enjoyed, yet recovery from it is treated like a separate appointment. The appointment had not been added to the spreadsheet. There was no column for recovery.
Social recovery time must be hidden inside the calendar because wanting people and needing rest are treated as opposites.
Wednesday arrived. Priya confirmed the bus.
A new version of the spreadsheet was shared. It had a twelfth row. The twelfth row was for someone who had decided to come after seeing the spreadsheet. The spreadsheet had become the mechanism through which the group assembled.
Eventually festival plan spreadsheet acquires an unwritten enforcement system that everyone denies creating.
The festival was good.
Nobody filled in the notes column.