9.23.2007

My bills are miscellaneous.

Yes, they are. This was one real life example that came to mind as I continued reading the Weinberger text. When I say, 'my bills are miscellaneous', I actually mean their location. The book talks about how we naturally organize and categorize things into specific places. Dishes, clothes, groceries, chemicals, cleaners, towels, DVDs, etc. We sort through our mail, throw the junk mail in the trash, proudly display greeting cards on the mantle, put bills in a specific drawer or rack, and maybe set aside the ads and catalogs to look through later. My bills do not have a specific drawer to go into, or even an accordion-style folder to be neatly arranged by due date. A few bills might get lumped together on my bedroom floor while one may be folded up and placed in my wallet as a reminder for prompt payment. Oh, look. There's one on my kitchen counter. And another on the couch. I won't lie, though. Eventually I try to round them all up and arrange them into a pile according to their due dates. Odds are I've already paid a couple of them by then.
This also got me thinking about what things we do place in miscellaneous locations (granted, they're multiple items). Tissues came to mind right off the bat. You're probably gonna have a box in the living room, the bedroom, and the bathroom. If you've got bad allergies then there's probably some in your pocket at all times. Candles was another item I thought of. Candles can go wherever tissues go. The kitchen, the basement, the bathroom, the living room, the garage, etc.

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