Note: I had another bout of insomnia last night. I didn't look at the clock, but it was well after 1:00, maybe even 2:00. Then I had an early morning appointment at the dentist's office. I'm not saying this to conjure sympathy, but to provide two things: 1) an informal sense of how frequently this happens to me, and 2) an apology in advance if this essay is even less structured or logical than usual.
There are a lot of things in my life. Not, like, activities or people, but stuff. Actual things. I have a lot. Most of what I value, in terms of things, are my books, writings, and video games. I also really like my knickknacks--action figures from my childhood, small metal models I've made during General Conference, homemade gifts from my wife or kids--which are arbitrarily arranged on spare (and rapidly dwindling) shelf-space. I like being able to glance around and see a mug with Shakespearean scenes as well as a recently acquired Spider-Gwen action figure. It's one of the things that makes my office feel like an amalgamation of my interests and passions. The thing about my things, though, is that I like to keep them orderly. When my room is messy, it tends to grind my gears. It's a subtle thing--if there's one book out of order*, I don't get all bent out of shape. But the fact that there's a spare chair in my office right now (I purchased a new office chair--after almost ten years with the same one--and assembled it yesterday; its predecessor is now filling what little floor space remains me) is floating in the back of my consciousness. I know it's there, it's bugging me, but I haven't the energetic wherewithal to do anything about it. Same goes for the random pieces of detritus that are littering the other gaps between bookshelves, chairs, and desk. Despite not having fully taken care of my desk--it has two drawers, both of which are junk drawers, and two cupboards, both of which are junk cupboards--since it's out of sight, out of mind, I don't worry about them. I'm aware that I have some things on my desk that I'd like to put away, but for various reasons I don't. It's like your inbox: Some emails are destined to sit there so you know where they are and don't forget about them. I think it's strange that, despite the fact that I value cleanliness and I want my home to be orderly (I have three kids, so it never really is that), the extra level of commitment needed to get it that way perpetually eludes me. It isn't just that the kids will bomb any empty place with toys, puzzle pieces, or discarded clothing. My office is very much my space, yet I don't have it set to anything other than an organized chaos of sorts. Goes to show that we never really do live up to the ideals that we wish we could. --- * In fact, I managed to organize my science fiction/fantasy bookshelves in alphabetical order. The rest of my books were pieced together on broad categories--philosophy, science, British literature, Shakespeare, Spider-Man--and then abandoned. ==== Hey, friends. I have been releasing essays on my website for a couple of years now at a pretty steady rate. I'm happy to do so, as it benefits me as a writer and (I hope) you as a reader. I also think that, as a writer, it's okay if I believe that my work has some value monetarily as well as emotionally. To that end, I've created a Ko-Fi account, which is basically a way to give an online tip to a creator whose work you appreciate. The idea is, you can buy them a cup of coffee. (That's what the name of the website sounds like, if you're curious.) I'm not charging for any of the content on my website; instead, if you'd like to toss me a cup-le (see what I did there?) of bucks to show your gratitude, that would be cool. I'd totally appreciate that appreciation. If you don't? No problem. We can still be friends. As always, thanks for reading! |
AuthorWould you like to support my writings? Feel free to buy me a coffee (which I don't drink, but I do drink hot chocolate) at my Ko-Fi page. Thanks! Archives
July 2022
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