Minimess A contained, clearly delineated pocket of mess within a larger area, as on a counter, in a closet or a drawer, or on a bulletin board or a refrigerator.
Cyclical Mess A mess that waxes and wanes in cycles. Some messes grow during the week (or the winter), only to be pruned back on weekends (or in the spring). Other cycles may be dictated by work, mood or pressures of parenting.
Vertical Mess Anything looks neat when it’s in a pile, even unlikely objects like CD cases, magazines, mail and receipts. Gravity is a powerful glue, and the appearance of neatness can be improved by adding a bin where a pile forms.
Heaped Mess A large heap of items stuffed under a bed, a desk or even a couch. Oft-retrieved items do not sit around long enough to become deeply embedded, while rarely needed items become entombed at such deep levels that it can be fun to excavate them later. Broaden your notion of storage area to include spaces behind or under furniture, or between heavy appliances like washing machines and dryers.
Satellite Mess There are 1.5 billion square feet worth of self-storage units available for rent in the United States. The money saved on a professional organizer could pay for a year’s worth of storage.
A Perfect Mess: The Hidden Benefits of Disorder–How Crammed Closets, Cluttered Offices, and On-the-Fly Planning Make the World a Better Place
December 21, 2006 NYT
Well, I confess, I have some of each kind of mess except satellite…or rather my small pockets of mess will morph, sometimes on their own, sometimes with help, into one of the other lifeforms.
I like it best when the mess is self-contained or at least not in my living room and office. I have to have a refuge.
I have one child who loves to organize. Perhaps she will find her calling. I, OTOH, wish I could just wiggle my nose…it is way too much work to stay on top of it. I do stay on top of the mail and I will simply toss it if it is mailbox spam.
I’ve found that if I put the mess in a bag and put the bag away, in a shorter time than I would think I can pretty much toss everything or give it away. But making a decision in the moment without a little leeway is more difficult.
I like a comfortable, lived-in kind of living space. Even as a child, if I would visit a home that was too perfect or too minimal, it gave me an odd feeling, as if one couldn’t sit down. I love having my home be home base for my kids’ friends for their variety of age groups and gender. I like having kids bedded down all over the house. I’d rather have them here than have my kids there. At least here, I know what is going on. Having air mattresses makes it simple. Have bed, will travel.
I’m getting better at enlisting their help to get it back up to a level that I can live with. Well, maybe they are getting better at my expectations. Ya think?
How about you? can you live with mess(es)?
Karin
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