Management is reorganizing the department I work in at the company I work for. Last week I had clean out the cube I’ve been working in. It wasn’t mine. It was empty so I moved in. That’s how I am at work. Sometimes I don’t ask if I can do something. I just do it. If management doesn’t like what I’m doing they will ask me to stop. If they don’t, I continue what I’m doing. I’ve been in the cube for about six months. And now I have to move out.
It’s not that I had a lot to move, but until the department is reorganized I have to put my stuff on half of a desk or in my filing cabinet. This is the littlest space I have had to put my stuff and it has made me ask one question.
Why do I have all of this stuff?
I have worked in several different departments in the twenty one years I have worked for this company so I have saved department notes, note from coworkers that are deceased or have left the company, misc. memos, paperwork I thought someone might need someday, pens (yes the company does provide them, but I like to bring my own from home. I am a pen whore) and pencils, mouthwash, baby powder, aspirin, a 4 x 6 album of some of my wedding pictures, my Damn It Doll (I truly need this some days) and other miscellaneous things in this filing cabinet. And candy. I can’t forget the candy.
I need to clean it out. Except the candy. People like candy and are more willing to do things for you if you give them candy so I keep it on hand.
To me, right now, having all of that stuff means I plan on staying forever. Maybe not forever, but I have 13 years til I retire. I really don’t plan on staying there for the next 13 years, but that is totally another post. I really don’t need all of that stuff. I’ve been contemplating staying late one day next week and cleaning out my desk off of the clock. Yes, off of the clock. I want to be able to take the time I need to go thru my stuff and decide if I need it or not. What would happen if I threw away paperwork from the other departments that I have worked in, but haven’t used in years? I was never really in management so why should I keep all of the paperwork that I used to order material and other stuff in the past. What if keeping all of that stuff is keeping me tied to a job I really don’t want to be at anymore? Don’t get me wrong. I work for a good company. I have excellent coworkers. I have a gravy job that allows my characters to talk to me and essay/blog/novel ideas to come to the surface while I work. I just don’t agree with the management style and what things people get away with. I try not to let this bother me, but it’s hard not to. The more I write the more I know this is really want to do now and for my retirement. I would love it if I could write til the day I die.
As I look at my job life, I have to think about all of the crap I have in my house. For example, my utensil drawer in my kitchen. It’s not huge, but there’s a lot of stuff crammed in it. I thought I cleaned it out in April when I was packing up the kitchen before the house deal fell through, but I guess I didn’t clean it out good enough. I will have to go thru it again. Thank God we are having a garage sale in April.
How do I really know what I really need? This is something I need to get clear on. What I have and why I am holding on to it. Sometimes I’m afraid to give something away that someone gave me. If they are deceased I wonder if they can see that I’m giving what they gave me away. I know this is kinda silly, but sometimes I wonder. Or would they be happy that I’m giving it away? I wonder if keeping something is keeping me from something else?
I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately. Being sick these last couple of weeks has made me question a lot of areas in my life. I’ve noticed a lot of areas in my house/life that are clogged with stuff and need to be cleaned out. This isn’t even one of the posts I wrote when I was sick and or in Vegas. I wrote it after I cleaned out my desk last week Monday.
Being sick really sucked, but I’m grateful, too, because it has made me think about things I haven’t thought of in awhile or if ever. I know I need to change things in my life to get to where I want to go and this is what my blog posts will probably be about for the next couple of months.
Thanks for being with me on my journey.
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