Come Inside My Head, if You Dare…
When I think of leadership and those “in charge” of me through school, work, and whatever, the good ones had the same qualities:
Patience
Humility
Mildness
Kindness
Self-control
Humor
Confidence
Wisdom
Now, think of people you know (or know of) with these qualities. I immediately thought of Jesus Christ, John F. Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan.
Who do you think of?
If you are wondering what ‘Bippity-Boppity-Boop’ has to do with un-inventing, you may be male or a millennial. Nothing to feel bad about.
One of the good fairies (there were three) in charge of taking care of Princess Aurora (sleeping beauty) had a magic wand. Whenever she used it, she would aim and point 3 times while saying, [Bippity. etc…] Her magic words of choice popped into my head when I read today’s prompt. I find it sort of scary that Walt Disney is still lurking in my head after all these years. A subject for another blog someday.
Onward with un-inventing something. To me, that means correcting circumstances that have caused major distress in the world. That doesn’t mean I do not have regrets that I would love to “Boop” out of existence. We are talking (at least I am) about the greater good here.
After many hours of debating this question, I think I would un-invent the IRS and start from scratch. The US tax system is ridiculous. It has gotten increasingly complicated with too many forms and departments. I cringe when I think about how much of our tax dollars go toward “running” the IRS, sending letters informing taxpayers of mistakes they made and how much more they owe. Of course, the letter comes 2.5 years after the original forms were submitted. This means not only do you owe more money, but you ALSO owe them 2.5 years’ worth of penalties and interest.
That is just wrong.
That is the question.
I have clutter in every aspect of my life. As a writer, I have kept short stories and novel drafts over the years. I even have the first spiral notebooks in which I wrote poems and short stories. I wrote most drafts using pen and paper because it was easier than pounding on an old manual typewriter.
I have filing cabinets and bookshelves full of binders of drafts and notes that ‘I might want to revisit.’ I do go back every 3 years or so to reread some of my favorites. Occasionally, I even tinker with one, trying to be inspired. I don’t remember ever breathing life back into any former efforts.
Another area of my life with clutter is the guest room that I call my sewing/craft room. I have been “building up my stash” since 2013 when I joined a quilt guild. Almost every week, we have fabrics sitting on our “free table.” I have found some really cool stuff on that table. Someday, I need to dig in and make a lot more quilts for charity and use that fabric up. I have cupboards full, boxes under the bed, and even some bins in the basement. Some may call that hoarding. I call it preparation.
I have way too many cookbooks. I started my own cookbook back when my kids were young. My notes are semi-organized, and most recipes have been taste-tested. My goal was to give them a cookbook when they went off on their own. The kids are in their 40s now, so I guess that plan is moot. Perhaps by the time I have great-grandchildren…
I sometimes have these days where my mindset is, “You don’t need all this stuff!” And that is true – I don’t need it. However, I may want it at some point in the future. I suppose that is why I keep it. Just in case.
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