Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Piles

As I sit here at my computer, I am surrounded by piles. Piles of papers, piles of magazines, piles of books, piles of piles. Piles on my desk, the kitchen table, the floor, the kitchen island. There are even piles hanging on my cork board: piles of papers hanging vertically and precariously held that way by a single push-pin. These hanging piles occasionally flutter to the floor and cause a panic until we find the push-pin. We don’t want Daisy to eat the pin or for someone to step on it.

One day, they will find my cold, dead body under collapsed piles of paper products.

Piles are useful for sorting stuff, but it’s too easy for them to grow all by themselves, merge into each other, and take over a house. I have to make myself go through them periodically, but what I really need is a schedule. Go through this pile on Monday, this one Tuesday, and this one Wednesday…you get the picture. Or maybe it would work better to schedule it by room, since the piles are somewhat unpredictable in their nature and growth. Kitchen piles Monday, living room piles Tuesday, library piles Wednesday….

Such order and discipline won’t happen. It never does in my world. I just fantasize about it. It’s much easier to think about how to tackle the piles than to actually tackle them. Oh, I’ll get around to each one eventually, when the situation is urgent. For instance, as soon as I finish whining to you about piles, I’m going to clean the piles off my computer desk.

My poor computer is completely surrounded. I can barely use my mouse on the square inch of bare space left for it. I’m not exactly sure what is in all these piles, though I see George’s ear buds which I borrowed and haven’t returned, a box of tissues from when I had a cold last month, an art project Nick intended to give to his dad at Christmas but gave to him last night, a calendar my friend stamped for me, a stack of business cards I pulled out of an envelope on the cork board so I could find the number for the optometrist, a small olive-green moleskine notebook that I keep prayer requests in (along with five or so other notebooks used for various purposes), some sticks of never-dry modeling clay, the boys’ most recent report cards, a wad of receipts stuffed behind a basket overflowing with paperwork, and a lovely hand-thrown pottery vase that holds dull pencils and dried-out pens.

What a lot of stuff to sit precariously around a large laptop on a 39-inch by 22-inch desk.

I also just noticed the phone isn’t in its cradle. Funny how chaotic a house can get when people don’t put things back where they belong, eh?

As much as I would love to slide the whole mess into a trashcan and walk away, I think I better just get to work. At least I know I’ll be happy when this one messy corner of my life is tidy once again.

Because that’s all I get in this mess that is life: one tidy corner at a time.

Today, I am okay with that.

14 comments:

  1. I am using the table in my hobby room to sort throught income tax papers and it's covered. My DH does the taxes on the computer, and then I make sure there is documentation for all deductions. Anyway, I had them all spread out on the table and a window was open beside it. (you know what's coming) Yesterday I came home and those papers were all over the floor thanks to Mother Nature (((sigh))) Oh well, at least Mother Nature isn't giving us that white stuff -- oh yes, we're having 80 degrees today :>)

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  2. Funny. I am typing this as my forearms rest on a pile of papers that need to be tended too (which came from another pile on the kitchen desk). And glancing over at the pile beside me.
    Guess I should quit procrastinating and deal with these piles. Otherwise, I will never have the space to do some creating.

    sigh

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  3. lol...now you have inspired me to do something with my 'piles'...you rock!

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  4. Funny, I started on my paper piles and paper files this last week. I threw away 3 bags full of papers. Now I look and the spaces are full. How does that happen?! Nature does abhor a vacuum.

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  5. I once read a great book called "Organizing for Creative People." It helped me come to terms with my piles. I discovered I am a visual organizer. Turns out I'm afraid that if something is out of sight it will be forgotten forever. Now I use my weakness to help me organize my home visually with labels on lots of places and vertical, open storage. Your piles are just a sign of that restless creative mind of yours.

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  6. Ahhh, piles. Here comes the perspective bit again: You said you don't get to a pile until it's urgent. Perhaps your piles need time to, say, ripen, or mature (yeah, yeah, that's the ticket!) and you are dealing with them perfectly, each in their own time. Or you're procrastinating like crazy, whichever you prefer. :) You may need some birth control spray for your desk as piles seem to reproduce themselves, don't they? Here's how I think about my messy computer desk: If it was typically organized it wouldn't make me CRAZY happy when it's clean. Sure wouldn't want to miss out on all that joy........

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  7. And I thought I was the only one. Whenever I tackle my piles on the kitchen counter, I still end up with piles. They just won't go away. Then the grow, again. I need to check out the book The Singing Farm Wife mentioned. I need some serious help with my piles of piles!

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  8. Leave your piles alone. Deal with piles only when absolutely necessary. Fact - A life without piles is just a fantasy, it’s not real, it never could be. Approach a pile with caution, it knows you’re there, it knows your intention, but it will outwit you every time. When sorting a pile it is necessary to make smaller piles, then you get sidetracked, the phone rings, the dinner needs sorting, the dog needs walking and while you’re away, each pile takes on a life of its own and grows independently, then instead of one pile, you now have several. Take heed and LEAVE THE PILES ALONE.

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  9. Why is it that piles are almost always made of paper?

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  10. Well to drop this to toilet level, I laughed out loud when I read the title to this thread. Here in the UK we refer to haemorrhoids as piles and then you see piles are a pain in the butt :)

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  12. LOL, Lynn!

    I actually did think of that but decided there wasn't another word to substitute for what was on my desk...*snort*

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  13. I think you have somehow visited my craft room without my knowing it!

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  14. Susan, Your article really hit home. I , too am surrounded by piles. My husband constantly compares me to the Collyer brothers of New York City and predicts a dire outcome.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collyer_brothers

    So far I haven't figured out a way that works for me to keep things under control.

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Thanks so much for taking time to comment!