What's Your "Thing"?

As I am working towards revamping my life I have diligently been taking responsibilities off of my plate. I have resigned from the Executive Board of a local non profit as well as being the 4-H Community Leader and various other commitments. Whew, it is not easy for someone like me that has a Super Mom complex and is addicted to avoiding themselves by giving away every moment of free time. Now the blog today has nothing to do with time management, commitments, or stress, nope it is about things you can’t let go of.

Weird, odd, things. Things with no connection as to why the hell you hang on to them. I am not talking about collections as a hobby or things you display in your home. I am talking about peculiar stuff. For example my Mother must steal a pen every time she signs something at the bank, store, Dr. ‘s office or where ever else a pen is placed in her hand. She has jars of pens everywhere in her home. In the laundry room, in the kitchen, on the dining room table, in the living room, her bedroom and in the guest bedroom and her spare room (it does not qualify as a bedroom because it is full of crap and there is no bed) there are several jars all stuffed with pens in those rooms. It is not unusual to see a few loose pens lying on the bathroom counter. I have questioned her more than several times; “Mom, why all the pens?” Same old answer “I might need one”. I could go on and on with this conversation but it still goes nowhere. My Mom just cannot let go of a pen. Often I have asked her why she doesn’t donate them to a school or charity because certainly one person does not need four hundred pens. But you know what? It’s her “thing” and she has no desire to let go of them.

It’s funny, my Sister is an extremely neat knick, never ever a thing out of place in her home. Tidy, tidy are her drawers, cupboards, closets and garage, ALWAYS! The other day I was at her house and we were looking for something in the hall closet. As she opened the door to the closet I just cracked up. She had almost an entire shelf of candles (all burned to some degree). Now this made no sense what so ever. She has candles all over her house and I can see keeping a few extras in case of a power outage, but I am talking she devoted an entire shelf in her closet for her half burned candles. “Whoa Sis, what’s up with all the candles” I asked. She smiled and replied “you never know when you’ll need them and I still like the colors”. I know this translated into “It’s my thing and I cannot let go of them”.

As I was preparing files and folders and all sorts of things to pass on to the people that are filling my various positions I came across a very interesting collection of my own. Apparently I am a klepto of offices supplies. Yep I never realized it before, that I am a paper clip, staples, file folder hoarding office supply thief. To all my past employers, I think I must owe you an apology! Geez, I mean I realized I have five boxes of staples that I took when a company I was working for eight years ago went bankrupt. It’s not just staples, I have file folders, sheet protectors, envelopes so old that they are sealed, 3x5 cards, tablets, you name it, except for tape, and I have it. I could open my own office supply store at this point.

What’s a bit sad or actually embarrassing is the fact that I have not worked in an office or outside my home in more than five years. It’s funny because now that I am aware of yet one more little quirk I have, I just stop, slowly shake my head and get a good laugh at myself when I open a desk drawer or cupboard to find it stuffed with office supplies. What can I say, it’s my “Thing” and I just cannot let go of them. So what’s you “Thing”?

NOTE TO SELF: Take your own advice. Donate the office supplies to a school or charity