I spent a few hours recently organising my collection of cables, adaptors, plugs etc. Ones for computers , mobile phones and other devices, (some of which I no longer own), audio visual, lots of stuff to charge things in a car.........and surprised myself with what I had.
I now have 4 mains charger for Nokia Phones, not counting the two I already had out in active use. I found various mains adaptors, some for countries I cannot identify and every variety of USB, mini USB, Micro USB (apart from the one I will need next). Clearly some standardisation would be helpful but I suppose it keeps people in business making these, usually in China, and selling them usually on Ebay. Its so easy to find what you want for very cheap prices, apart from Apple connectors of course, so it was often easier to just buy new cables without thinking that I may have it already.
Now they are in a series of cardboard or plastic boxes and reside all together in my office so I can access them whenever required, I have however resisted the temptation to label each one or make a printed inventory to go in each box, but I have mused that the collection of recycled boxes might be best replaced with a series of uniform plastic containers.
That started the thought about tidiness. Have you every visited someone's office or home and been surprised, maybe even incredulous that they can manage their clutter that way .......that is they don't appear to manage it, it just exists. Every surface is covered in books, magazines and stuff but this may be logical and organised to them but unfathomable to others who have, what I propose to call the tidy gene.
Then of course there are those with an extreme version of the tidy gene who cannot stand to have anything out of place and will rearrange the ornaments, the kitchen cupboards etc until it makes sense to them. I once know a business colleague who had a completely empty desk, every night every single paper was put away, you could enter his empty office and assume that it was indeed unoccupied completely.
Now the question is does it matter, well not if you are living on your own, provided you don't worry about what visitors might think, or discourage any visitors at all or take a certain pride in being eccentric. Not perhaps if you are the boss or run your own business but if you live with others or work with others or in a place where the ethos is tidy, it could be an issue.
Do people from untidy families carry on being untidy when they move out ? or do they react and become very organised ? Nature vs Nurture in the raw, some sociologist could perhaps investigate. Here's the title for free - "Reaction to Clutter in home and work places - A Study"
Perhaps it doesn't matter, though people have fallen out for less, is there a test that those on line dating/matching services do that identifies tidiness? is tidying an excuse not to do anything new or does being tidy lift some people's minds and souls and for others do they rise above the triviality of sorting to have the time for greater thoughts and deeds ?
So many questions, so little time, I've still got cupboards to delve into and identify stuff that is broken, obsolete or surplus,.................oh happy day...........when I get around to it. I think my tidy gene has a time out in it, sometimes it works, sometime it doesn't, oh well...............
