Packratting Pays

Last night I was surfing the internet and was just about to post a comment at this hysterical post about swearing kiddies, or what airforcewife calls my "son's Tourette's episode" - when my keyboard just up and died on me...which wouldn't be such a big problem, were it not for the fact that I own a laptop. A few weeks ago, I was cleaning out my apartment...well, more appropriate would be the German word "ausmisten," which means "mucking out," the term used when a farmer cleans out the manure from his barn.

I was throwing out junk that dated back from my first classes at the university here. Things I wouldn't need any longer, or were in such disorder that if I ever needed that information again, it would be easier to go find it at the library again, than sort thru my notes.

I also threw away random things, that I just wasn't using and never would...like an old keyboard I had. I was thinking...I will never need this keyboard again, I have a latop. Why am I letting it collect dust and take up space on my desk here? Plus, after watching a British cleaning show, about a man who was such a packrat, they had to have a psychologist help him with his separation anxiety from his belongings, I decided...I had to do something before someone set a shrink on me. I was strong. I threw away post cards and birthday cards, notes, occasionally pictures I had in double, old computer disks, binders I didn't need anymore. I kept on thinking I could find everything a new home, but realized it was mostly junk, that had to be disposed of. And that keyboad hurt. I kept on thinking, maybe someone needs this...but finding someone who needed a keyboard, and didn't have one yet...well, that would be a long search...so I threw it onto the garbage pile at the dump.

And last night I was thinking: see...my packratting tendencies have been vindicated! I was right to keep that keyboard on my desk for 5 years without using it...two weeks later I need it.

However, the solution to my problem was a lot easier than that: I have had a new laptop since June, the old one crashing a lot, and having random weird problems (the keyboard just up and dying being an example). I bought it before writing my thesis, because I didn't trust the old one, in case it would crash mid-thesis. It's a way better laptop, faster, more memory, just waaaaay better than my old Dell. However, since the old one didn't completely up and die, I wasn't ready to start using the new one other than for the thesis...

So, when the keyboard on my old laptop died, the solution was easy. Retire the old laptop and finally hook up the new one to the 'net. Yes...the logic of a packrat: let a perfectly good, new laptop age and not use it, until the old one is really utterly useless...by that time, if you are lucky the new laptop won't be completely outdated.

I think I might not be so far from a shrink's visit.