One trap that I think a lot of people fall into is the mindset that if their stuff is "organized" then it is not clutter.
The junk drawer in my foyer buffet is a really good example of that.
Several years ago a good friend (who knows how I like to organize) gave me this handy dandy "junk drawer" organizer for my birthday. Over the years, it has accumulated quite a tidy little pile of "junk." Tidy. But junk nonetheless.
What I found when I really took the time to sort through it was the following:
- Five pencil sharpeners, including one I purchased just last week because I couldn't find the other ones.
- Two printer cartridges. For a printer we don't use anymore. (I'm still trying to convince Vern that the printer needs to go if we aren't using it anymore. He's determined to save it for some sort of printer emergency where our printer fails in the middle of the night and we aren't able to purchase a new printer at the 24 hour Wal-Mart. The cartridges, by the way, expired in 2006.)
- Matchbooks and boxed matches. We don't smoke and we always use those long neck lighters.
- A dried up glue stick. It probably dates back to when Ashley was in grade school.
- Two flashlights that aren't bright enough to guide us to anywhere in an emergency unless it only took 10 seconds to get there.
- Playing cards, which seems like a good idea except that we have about 15 more decks in our guest room. Not to mention, we don't allow anyone to play anything but Uno at our house. (just kidding)
- A single die (dice? die?)
- A lone button for heaven only knows what.
- A part for a Spirograph game that I haven't seen for years, but I know I will find the minute I throw it away.
- Bobby pins. I don't even know why I have bobby pins. I've never used them in my entire life.
- Three tiny sewing kits. I have an entire room devoted to sewing. Do I really need to have three useless sewing kits in my junk drawer?
So take a good look around, even at the stuff that appears to be organized and ask yourself if you really need it.
Now, someone must have a use for a single coaster, a folding lint brush that isn't sticky anymore, and a bunch of rotted rubber bands, right?
2 Comments:
I have two junk drawers in my kitchen. The second one belongs entirely to my husband because he was always losing his stuff - so I gave him his own drawer just for his junk. It's now overflowing and he still loses his junk. He's not getting another drawer. He's just NOT.
Just tell him that until he can take care of the one drawer he has . . . . oh, wait, that's my advice for kids. Husbands? I just say no. They don't listen anyway.
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