So I’ve not always been a fan of labels. Until I met @organizersandy.
I think I was butting into a conversation between her and someone else, or I was just listening to the conversation. Either way I can’t even remember the conversation now but I remember making the comment that it bothered my husband and kids that I could tell them where something was, even buried under other things.
She called that “visual”. I liked it. I swooned a little. (Okay. A lot).
Then the topic shifted to clutter. Heh.
Should we go there?
I have clutter. Lots o’clutter. More clutter than Carter has Liver pills (don’t know what that means but my grandmother used to say it and I always thought that it meant A LOT so I’m gonna use it).
Anyway… I made the comment that I am no stranger to clutter and probably something about the fact that my clutter had clutter.
Sandy in her infinite and marvelous wisdom said, “I bet you’re a surface abuser too.” I was like a puppy perking up at the word “treat”.
What? A surface abuser? What is that?
According to Sandy, it’s when I see a blank surface and I feel the need to fill it with something. SOMETHING MUST BE PUT IN THAT EMPTY AND CLEAN SPACE.
No. Way.
A smile spread slowly across my face as I remembered my dining room window sill at home, or the month I spent cleaning up my bedroom only to create “piles” of notebooks, magazines and documents that were needed for one project or another. I slowly drifted from room to room in my head, going over each surface and what sat there.
I grinned and then literally attacked Sandy, “That’s Me! Oh-my-god-this-is-wonderful-I-can’t-believe-it! I have a label! I’m a visualizing surface abuser!” I was overcome with joy. I literally wanted to cry.
It was. The happiest. Moment of my life.
It meant I was no longer messy. I had a title. A stake as to why I was the way I was. I felt warmth all through my body. I called my sister who disagreed (HA! She is soo wrong but Whatever) and still claimed that I’m just messy.
I’m still geeking out almost a month later at my new title. Granted I have no idea what that means for me, if I get a crown or some kind of plaque to put up on the wall (but we all know it won’t go on the wall, it will be on some other surface).
At the same time, it makes me think about a recent post from my new Blissdom friend Liz who confesses to her mess. I love that she’s being so open (and hope she won’t kill me later for linking)… but I feel the same way. Our house is messy. It’s cluttered (the bedrooms are the worse), and it’s overrun with kids and me who hates to clean. I’d like to clean but in some sick way when I look at what needs to be cleaned it depresses me and so I don’t even bother. It took me a full month to get a walkway through my bedroom door to my bed. (It’s the truth) and it’s a struggle every day for me to NOT FILL THE SPACE WITH CRAP.
I’ll give you some examples:
My workspace in the corner is my nemisis.
Dining room windowsill. Yes, you can see this from the road during the day.
I’m sure that with a lot of intervention I could lose my title but I’ve worked so hard to claim it…
While I love my title (it’s nice to not be called “messy” anymore) that doesn’t mean I think it’s good if the title sticks around. As much as I love my title, I’d be happy to shed it, and the surface abusing as well.
I’m afraid that if I show you any more, I’ll lose whatever respect you have left for me but here it goes…
There are appliances under there. Somewhere.
What do you think? Is there hope for a visualizing surface abuser like myself?
You absolutely crack me up!!
I do have one thing to say about your bedroom corner and your laundry room. Hmmm….there appears to be lovely wall space for shelves. Just sayin…
.-= Sandy´s last blog ..Target Zone =-.
I love this! I had a similar (though not as dramatic) aha moment yesterday looking at a Consumer Reports magazine. An article about organizing put people into categories of those who have to put everything away vs those who are “afraid they’re going to forget about stuff” if it’s not out. Yup, that’s me! And it actually had ideas specific for that type of person. Wheeee!!! Someone “gets” me! And now I see we’re kindred spirits.
Good post, and good for you! We can support each other, fellow surface abuser!!
.-= Liz´s last blog ..Awakening =-.
I am also very disorganized, but knows where everything is. So I guess I’m visual too. And I’m probably a surface abuser too. However, if I showed you any pictures from some of the rooms in my house yours would look clean! Seriously. I always just blamed my lack of clutter control on my ADD. I am the same way as you as when I see too big of a mess, it overwhelms me and I put off doing anything about it. And you know what’s even worse about my problem? None of my neighbors seem to have this problem. AT. ALL. I can walk into any of their houses and it always looks perfect and nothing out of place. I want to move next door to you, you’ll understand the clutter and mess when you just bop over to say hi! And I wouldn’t feel so guilty about whatever clutter you may see.
I think it is very good to be a visual person in this case. I bet it would be a lot worse to be, say, aural. You’d be all “Well, I can HEAR the mess. It’s under there SOMEWHERE.”
.-= Kate@And Then I Was a Mom´s last blog ..And to think that all Harvard is worried about is its endowment. =-.