Monday, March 1, 2010

Need for Clutter Control

There's a coffee cup on the arm of the sofa. It's empty, but at some point that morning it held coffee. I don't drink coffee.

Perhaps there's a tiny bit of coffee left in the bottom of the cup. It's still sitting on the arm of the sofa. Or perhaps it's sitting on the kitchen counter. Or maybe it's resting on the desk by the computer. But it's there. It is NOT where it belongs - the kitchen cupboard, nestled safely with its cup brothers and sisters. It is NOT in the sink soaking in hot, soapy water waiting to be cleaned. It's... someplace else.

In Jeff's mind, the cup is exactly where he wants it. At some point this morning he may want another cup of coffee. And when he does, the cup will be ready and waiting for him. It has a purpose. It has a goal. It is waiting for him patiently to decide if the goal is a refill, or to be cleaned and put away.

Over in MY mind I'm thinking "What the fuck is the coffee cup doing on the arm of the sofa". That's a precarious spot. It could fall. It could break. Most importantly.. this is NOT where the coffee cup BELONGS. It needs me to help it, it NEEDS me to pick it up and carry it to the kitchen sink where I will wash and dry it, carefully placing it back in its home in the cupboard. I pick the cup up and bring it to the kitchen and begin the reunion process.

5 minutes later Jeff wants another cup of coffee.

The cup, is mysteriously gone.

Who is right?

3 comments:

Crankipantz said...

You forgot to mention two things (conveniently). The cup was missing because you dropped it and broke it. My cup. That you broke. Second...how can you talk about what you consider to be MY "clutter", which is actually my coffee cup, without mentioning your piles of magazine articles and crap that you have piled on the counter? And when counter space runs out...you move to the STOVE. Yup...it's true. You know where my cup would have been safe? On the arm of my side of the couch where I left it. Hmmmm.

Apple Seed said...

Sometimes no one is right.

Mary said...

Katharine, girl, you've just written paragraphs about a dirty cup...let's think about this. Pick your battles, dear. ;-)