Let the Purging Begin

   

        Though it would make sense to no one but me, I know precisely what lies beneath each clump of stacked paperwork. I know vaguely the last vicinity I was working on something...I can tell you generically what those 3 stacks of papers represent. And to go touching those stacks, much less, FILING those stacks away, (God forbid)...The second it's out of sight (even if beneath a bunch of other stuff) well that will be the precise piece of paper I need, which now, I haven't a clue what category I (in my left brained moment) thought to slap on it the day I got in filing mode. And so too often, the stacks remain, until I can't stand looking at them anymore or Minsky can't see to get around them.  At this point, it's time to clear the decks...clean the house, (or at least: clean the desk. This usually occurs about the time I need to complete a deadline, when needing an excuse to procrastinate is easily justified.)
     So goes the mind of a creative...attempting (pretending) to organize.
     In truth, it's not that we don't like orderly. It's just that to us...the moral order of the universe is more akin to chaos theory than anything relative...
     But today, I took a huge leap: while facing the enemy of stacks everywhere, I decided to do it one better and actually destroy a few outdated paper items once and for all.
     Toting the remains of the ghost of taxes past, I opened my archiving file cabinet to discover a drawer so stuffed, I was going to have to purchase a new 4-drawer file to keep this outmoded system in play. But a new file cabinet is unnecessary (said the voice in my head, having recently adapted to cleaning bowls to the sound of an audiobook on purging and shedding, which clearly must've seeped into my subconscious after all).
     Facing the overstuffed file cabinet containing everything from 1990s tax information to every Div school paper, notebook and test I'd ever completed, I looked at the more recent files I had hoisted down the basement stairs (of 2011, 2012 and now 2013 tax receipts and documents) and said, "This is it. No more cramming. Time to purge."
     With that (and working hard not to think about it too much or --God Forbid-- OPEN one of those past files to find myself reading, then reminiscing, then saving after all, that mid-term paper I had aced)...I pulled out reams of my past, from files I could reuse, and loaded up a box to remove these clutter bugs once and for all.
     To make sure I didn't turn back, I headed to the old farm trash bin (most every farm has one...matter of fact, this is how everyone used to do it in the olden day before trash services came and took over). Anything burnable (wood, paper, pieces of cardboard) are fair game. If it were cooler, I'd have invited friends over for a ceremony.
     But today, that little ceremony is mine and mine alone. It's a far cry from all the remaining files I've yet to go (much less the other items in my closets, in my basement, in my storage shed) likewise in need of a big ol' purge.
     But it's a start. And with that start, the tiniest boost of momentum to keep purging in that direction. I can't speak for everyone, but I, for one, have a cause and effect balance that's way out of kilter. Here of late, I've been taking too much in, too much on, and haven't allowed near enough time for putting too much out or taking too much off my "to do" list. (So my spring cleaning is a half a year late. Oh well...Better late than never!)