My name is Rae and I'm a junkaholic.
It's a disease, I know it.
And it's both embarrassing and refreshing to
admit it.
Sure, a lot of people have a junk drawer
that they aren't proud of-
a closet that needs straightened-
or a basement that could use a little organization.
But I have ten junk drawers,
a junk room,
and if I had a basement
I am sure it would be one of those places
that they use in monster movies.
My life goal is to turn the junk room
into a beautiful guest suite
and limit myself to only one junk drawer.
But even then, I have put new restrictions on what
can go in that drawer...
No coupons, half-decks of cards, torn socks,
or game pieces that might possibly go to Candy Land.
No tools that I can't use or identify-
no burnt out bulbs, grocery sacks, broken pencils
or dried up Glue Sticks.
No screws, nails, wires, plugs or cables.
No forgotten greeting cards,
cute napkin rings I never use,
and not even the twist ties from every box of trash bags I ever bought.
I am on a mission to Martha Stewart my life.
Not only is she the queen of organization, but she
succeeds in doing it with creativity and flair.
I realize that I have a tough battle before me.
I know this will not be easy, or quick, or even painless.
I know that tiny pieces of things I have saved
will now be lost forever
and those junk drawers I never even open
will forever remain a mystery.
I am just dumping those babies into the trash
without even going through the contents!
I mean, what could be there
that is so important?
Lets see....
Melted rubber bands, push pins, cheap Christmas bows
and pens without ink.
Movie stubs, a missing button, a gum ball
and some old Tic Tacs.
A menu from Chinese,
a Vicks Inhaler (Oooh, better keep that!)
a 1982 calendar, a cat toy (we don't have a cat),
and a sack full of identifiable particles and parts
that I am sending to junk heaven.
But I must always be wary.
If I backslide, a sweet, tidy junk drawer can once again become
overflowing and unruly.
A simple paper clip tossed in without thought
can multiply into a hundred paper clips
and things with no home
will eventually end up sheltered in the junk drawer.
I don't think I'll clean those drawers today,
or tomorrow, or even next week.
The dream of what they will look like when
I finish the program keeps me content for now.
I'm not really sure that I will ever get around
to cleaning them out.
Besides - those junk drawers are me.
Scraps of things that I refused to throw away
or part with.
Bobbles and bangles that evidently have a place in my heart.
Pieces of my life
that sit perfectly still
waiting for my children to come along some day
and say,
"Mom was a junkaholic."
