bless this mess!
wednesday, october 11th, 2023.
An article made the rounds yesterday that got me thinking about my relationship with tidiness and organization. I'm not particularly a stickler for either, but I can get real anxious if there's company coming over and things are out-of-sorts.
On the other hand, visiting someone else's lived-in, messy house puts me at ease. A spotless house makes me worry about spilling something— it also makes me feel a bit shameful about my own habits. But a house that feels lived in and natural? It belies a trust and honest candor that makes me feel like I belong.
Some other messes for inspiration:
paperback reader.
I've been spending way too much time on my phone these days and I've decided to get back to physical books as a way to disconnect from the Internet and give myself a little dedicated downtime to read. We still have a few boxes of books we haven't unpacked since moving into our house, so I've decided to start going through 'em. First up: Theft of Swords.
When the topic of e-books vs. physical books comes up, Richard Stallman's essay, "The Right to Read," is usually in the discussion. Often, the debate of the longevity of paper vs. digital storage comes up, too. I err on the side of it all being temporary, but I think I favor paper inasmuch as you can just give someone a physical book with no further digital negotiation required. No batteries, either!
Honestly, I feel like I could deal with being a little less chronically online. We even made plans to build some shelving for books, but I've not followed through on them yet. What good are shelves if I'm always reading on my phone? Of all the messes I'd like to invite into my life, being surrounded by actual honest-to-god books is top on the list!
Until next time, be well. :)