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The reason I’m always late for things
April 1, 2008
My biggest compulsion is the constant need to be aware of the exact location of everything I own. I’m not continually filing through possessions in my head, but if I’m getting ready for a night out (which usually involves driving to someone else’s house and planting myself on their couch), and the thought crosses my mind, hm, I wonder where that Moleskine is I bought early last year that I only used once to write a list of all the reasons I dislike Kirsten Dunst, I am immediately so angry that I throw myself onto the nearest hardwood floor and writhe because dammit I cannot leave this house until I know where that notebook is.
This was probably the reason my sister and I had such a rocky relationship for the first ten years of her life. I can now understand why she would hide in terror when I ran to my bedroom after school, having obsessed since 3rd period American Government over the status of my yearbook from three years ago, and came out unable to find it. My first instinct would be to grab her aggressively by her shoulders and mutter, did you crayon all over my friends’ faces?
That was when she was 4.
And now I’m reaching an even more frustrating crossroads because I hate how I compile information anymore. I type notes into my phone when I’m out. I have a paper planner for dates because I don’t like the calendar in my phone. I carry a notebook for creative writing that doesn’t necessarily go into this blog. Sometimes if my phone’s not at hand I’ll open TextEdit and save things there, or if there’s an event that I find out about online I’ll just bookmark it.
It’s gotten to the point where I don’t even want to keep track of anything anymore because it’s everywhere. I’m beginning to think that with all of the new social and information outlets, keeping it all in one or two places is hopeless, especially since I still prefer paper.
I think my best bet is to delete Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and trash my iPhone. That way, I can keep a notebook by my rotary telephone, which would be the only way people could get a hold of me, and everything would be right there.
April fools?
Categories: Daily
April 1st, 2008 at 1:52 pm
Well, the reverting back to just a rotary phone and notebook would just be nuts! However, there are still quite a few people that live that way. Let’s just say they either don’t have much happening in their life, have everything and are not in need of anymore, or I don’t even know.
I have no idea what I would do without my phone and internet. I hope it’s April Fools!
April 1st, 2008 at 2:19 pm
Rotary phone?
What’s that?
April 1st, 2008 at 2:33 pm
Rotary phones are fun…just a little painful on the finger tips. No, instead you should get a hand crank phone which calls the operator who will connect you to your party!
April 1st, 2008 at 2:40 pm
Even better, cut off all contact. Communicate solely by mail. The slow kind.
April 1st, 2008 at 2:52 pm
Why even stop at snail mail? Smoke signals and carrier pigeons are the way to go.
April 1st, 2008 at 3:30 pm
That progression was incredible.
April 1st, 2008 at 7:49 pm
I give you full permission to get rid of your iPhone by giving it to me. I’m so nice.
April 1st, 2008 at 9:21 pm
I suggest tattooing the really important stuff onto your skin. You’re kind of a tiny person, so this will limit what you’ll be able to remember. But it will be good because it will force you to be selective about which events you attend (”No, can’t come tomorrow. Out of room on my shin. Sorry”), and because you’ll develop excellent and interesting tattooing skills. There is the problem of having to bring the equipment with you everywhere, plus I think there will be noise and such to cope with, but your skin will be an evolving work of art. And you’ll always know where it is.
April 1st, 2008 at 9:25 pm
Hey, I have that compulsion too. It’s good to know I’m not the only one with this obsession.
I randomly sit down and mentally catalog items around me, so the next time I’m looking for something, I know where it is. Except I usually don’t - so I just waste my time looking at my stuff.
And at least you make an attempt to compile information - most of the time, I think of something, mean to make a note of it, forget, then forget what I’m forgetting.
Sometimes I get so mixed up forgetting what I’ve forgotten to forget…
April 1st, 2008 at 9:31 pm
Wow, Cynthia. You truly are brilliant. And imagine, my pain tolerance would be nigh heroic.
And doing it myself would be key, to save on costs. I could probably schedule laser removal every 5 to 10 years, or else write really, really tiny.
This could work…
April 1st, 2008 at 9:33 pm
“did you crayon all over my friends’ faces?”
LOL.
April 2nd, 2008 at 1:58 pm
I understand a little more why my place drives you crazy. I promise ill never crayon all over anyones faces.:)
April 3rd, 2008 at 8:30 am
I have the same problem about wondering where things are at the most inconvenient times. Can’t locating my stuff drives me crazy!
April 4th, 2008 at 8:49 am
Hey. Where did you put that one thing in the house. I cant remember.
April 4th, 2008 at 9:09 am
Paper is still definitely the best for holding creative thoughts. I’ve been trying to find a substitution for this for a while as well, because I was sick of not being able to find that great idea I had 3 months ago, but nothing so far has worked.
I’ve tried to use a tablet computer to write things, but it’s just so clunky…technology, help!
April 6th, 2008 at 4:24 pm
I will totally take your iPhone off your hands. Done, and DONE!