shred and purge
I was cleaning out my office this weekend and decided to go through my carefully organized receipt folders, each one containing evidence of every fiscal transaction, month by month, from January 1998 to today.
Want to know what I bought at Ralph's on 5/19/1999? I can tell you.
Want to know how much gas I put in my car on a particular day last summer? I know.
I used to find great comfort in having all these receipts (after all, what if I need to bring back that shirt I bought for my office holiday party in December 2000? Without a receipt, the most the Ross Dress For Less is going to give me is store credit. Maybe.) But after going through enough stacks of fading cash register tape to float a battleship, I started to get a little overwhelmed and I lost sight of why I was saving these things in the first place. And then a simple realization - shred this stuff. Let it go.
So that's what I did. And after a couple of hours of careful shredding and destroying (take that, identity thieves!), I'd filled a giant, black garbage bag and it felt good as I hauled it out to the dumpster.
It felt really good.
Want to know what I bought at Ralph's on 5/19/1999? I can tell you.
Want to know how much gas I put in my car on a particular day last summer? I know.
I used to find great comfort in having all these receipts (after all, what if I need to bring back that shirt I bought for my office holiday party in December 2000? Without a receipt, the most the Ross Dress For Less is going to give me is store credit. Maybe.) But after going through enough stacks of fading cash register tape to float a battleship, I started to get a little overwhelmed and I lost sight of why I was saving these things in the first place. And then a simple realization - shred this stuff. Let it go.
So that's what I did. And after a couple of hours of careful shredding and destroying (take that, identity thieves!), I'd filled a giant, black garbage bag and it felt good as I hauled it out to the dumpster.
It felt really good.
posted by la.barabbas at 10:01 AM
6 Comments:
Ya know, I watched Elf tonight, and decided that's who you remind me of. Well, one with severe OCD, but pretty darn close.
You did WHAT!!!???
I was saving those. I had a bin all labeled and everything.
It is hard to let go.
What is this thing called "receipt"?
Sounds dangerously French.
The things I haven't let go - paperback books. I know where and usually when I got each one. Perhaps I should write all that down in case my memory begins to fade, or just to free up some space on my hard drive.
I'm proud of you.
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
Welcome home.
Thanks, God. I thought I felt your gentle guidance as I sat hunched over the gargage can. Although I must admit (and you already know this) that I still have from 2003 on.
Tell me about it, Jed. If you ever make it out this way, I'll show you my collection of old letters and a million pages of story notes for stories that were never written.
I think you should write a book, Joe. I would totally read it (and buy it!)
Why am I an elf?
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