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Joined: Mar 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
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I cleaned off my desk today here at home. It's been even longer than I realized: I found coupons that had expired in...1998.  I could all but hear the gasps of relief, as parts of the desktop that haven't seen light for ages, finally got some air. Oh--if you're wondering how I left that big of a mess out in the open for so long, I didn't--it's a modern rolltop. There've been times when I was just hoping and praying that guests wouldn't notice little corners of paper sticking out from under!
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210 |
from my blog today(roundabout via Jazzo): from a book by Abigail Sellen and Richad Harper, The Myth of the Paperless Office:
"the messy desk is not necessarily a sign of disorganization. It may be a sign of complexity: those who deal with many unsolved ideas simultaneously cannot sort and file the papers on their desk, because they haven't yet sorted and filed the ideas in their head." 
formerly known as etaoin...
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
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OP
Carpal Tunnel
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Hey, thanks, eta! I had thought everybody could use a good laugh, but you gave me one! 
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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 180
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Welcome to my world, Jackie. I completely understand. Once upon a time I was an immaculate housekeeper. Now, well, I'm not. The last 8 years of my life have been a bit...complicated and my house reflects that. I've heard there is a show on TLC called Clean Sweep. I don't have cable, so have never seen it. They have a website that offers inspirational ideas for decluttering. After discovering it, I've managed to take several car loads of unused stuff to Goodwill. It feels great to give away things that other people can use. I've decided I'm putting my house on a diet. It has to lose weight every week. Here's the site: http://tlc.discovery.com/fansites/cleansweep/tips/tips.html
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Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,891
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
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I've seen that show a couple of times GH. (I prefer to give a show a couple of tries before making a decision) I can't watch it anymore. It drives me crazy. I can't imagine how some people live in such messes. In one, the people 'found' a fireplace in their basement. That's how messy the place was. They had little paths in piles of rubbish in their bedroom leading to their bed, bureau and closet. They even had stuff piled on their bed and they slept around the piles of crap.
Not only is it amazing to me that they live like this, but that they'd expose themselves to millions of viewers is mindboggling.
Most people have that "put stuff here in the interim" place - a place where they'll put stuff that needs to be filed, of need to be brought somewhere and you just don't feel like doing it now. And sometimes, you will find expired coupons (hi Jackie) or long lost lottery tickets. I have a closet like that. But these peoples' entire houses are messed-up rubbish bins.
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
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OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613 |
When I was in the 5th. grade (approx. age 10), there was one girl in the class who was the outcast of the entire room. I followed the lead of a friend and her friend, and teased this girl. The teacher (God bless you, Mrs. Cox!) called the 3 of us in for a private talk and asked if we wouldn't try to befriend this girl. I invited her to my house, and she returned the invitation. Well...the house was literally stacked with newspapers, magazines, and I don't know what all, with paths in between the stacks. I had never seen anything like that before; as soon as I decently could, I called my parents to come pick me up. It just creeped me out.
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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 180
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They even had stuff piled on their bed and they slept around the piles of crap.
Yikes! Well, at least I've never sunk to that level. Hey, perhaps that's why these shows are successful: people want to see messies worse than they are to make themselves feel better.
I wonder if any other civilization in history has had the 'problem' of people owning too much stuff.
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
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the 'problem' of people owning too much stuff
Northwest coast Indians (US/Canada) had a hunter-gatherer society, but, unlike most peoples living in this economy, had the food jump on the table for them, living as they did in the lush temperate rain forests. They accumulated so much property that they would customarily hold parties, called potlatches, in which they would give away or destroy much of their worldly goods. If you were invited to one of these parties it was expected that you would throw one of your own in the near future that was even more lavish in its disposal of property.
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Joined: Mar 2000
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old hand
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old hand
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 1,027 |
civilization in history has had the 'problem' of people owning too much stuff.Some kings in ancient Egypt must have known it - or what did they build the pyramids for  ?
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Joined: Nov 2003
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...potlatches, in which they would give away or destroy much of their worldly goods...That's a great solution! Dumping my old stuff at the Goodwill truck just isn't as personal, is it? The ladies in my book group routinely bring books and magazines they don't want to our meetings. There is a sort of free pile in the center of the table and anyone can take anything on their way out. Actually, once a lady brought a pair of new trousers to give away as well, so maybe this is turning into a kind of suburban potlatch. What's next, I wonder?
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