Have you ever known someone–heck, are you someone–who walks into a room and immediately wonders why he or she went there? I’m not that way often, but if I had a nickel for every cup of coffee I’ve left sitting on the kitchen counter when I go to school, I could just buy a cup for both of us. I’m forgetful. Sometimes.
Getting back to walking out the door, when I leave in the morning to go to school (and I will again, someday), I have a little chant that I say to myself: “Watch, wallet, keys, badge, phone, memory stick, whistle, love of a good woman…yep, I’ve got it all.” As I say it, I’m patting various pockets, checking things off as I feel them.
Here’s the thing, though: I don’t even carry all of those anymore. I don’t need a whistle since, as a STEM coach, I don’t have a class to bring in from the playground. Nor do I need my memory stick (USB drive), because, well, the cloud. My files are floating around somewhere, but not in my pocket.
Why, since I’m not at school today, did this come to my mind earlier this morning?
Well, I’ve actually started doing some of the cleaning that I told myself I was going to do over this unplanned break, and I came across a piece of what is now vintage technology. You know, over 10 years old.
It’s an old “E-Book.” Back when I was working on my master’s degree, I needed a laptop but couldn’t afford one. E-books, computers that kept files in the cloud, were just coming out and were affordable. I didn’t like it because it didn’t have a hard drive for file storage, but it served its purpose well.
Fast forward ten years, and now all of my files are in the cloud (with the exception of the thousands of pictures living on my desktop still). This old thing might be worth having!
The battery is charging, and I think I remember the password.
Do I need it? Of course not, but I’d better not get rid of it because I might some day!
—
Just kidding. It’s a factory reset away from being recycled.
Yet There is Method 
I can relate to your way of reminding yourself not to forget important things when you leave the house. I especially like, ” love of a good woman” reminding you your loved! I struggle with getting rid of my old school stuff thinking, “I may need this one day.” I envy the young teachers who feel like all they need is on their computer. I need my papers, my books, my files…. How do you begin to declutter? You got me thinking….
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If you get it figured out, please let me know–thanks!
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Before Christmas, I did a classroom take-apart with my students and requested old appliances and gadgets (nothing with glass–but we did wear protective gloves and eyewear). The kids loved tearing into old keyboards and balance boards, etc. But I think the families appreciated even more the opportunity to have their old tech reused or up-cycled. I also struggle with how much potential old technology continues to hold. If not utility, the sheer novelty of instant nostalgia for “ancient items” in my own lifetime (floppy disks and CD-R / CD-RW, etc.).
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It might be me. I forget.
🙂
Kevin
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Ha!
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I enjoyed this piece of writing so much and could SO relate. I, too, have to recite to myself all the things I need to bring–usually out loud, because apparently the voice in my head isn’t loud enough for me to listen to. Decluttering always feels so good, doesn’t it? Glad the old tech is on its way out! Though it’s always tempting to hold onto things…
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I think it’s because I’ve got 10 different things running through my head as I’m heading out the door. The voice in my head *definitely* isn’t loud enough! Decluttering is good, and I’m trying. 🙂
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All. The. Time, Tim. For me, it usually involves walking back to the spot I thought my thought to see if I can get it back.
And yes, I can identify with you when it comes to decluttering. It does feel good, but some of those choices are HARD to make.
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Walking back to the spot–that’s exactly what I do! Decluttering does require hard choices, but I’m going to give it a shot.
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My favorite was trying to explain what a Zip drive was. The one between the floppy and the USB. It was so great at the time, but pretty much useless now. Always interesting to explore our past through tech!
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I haven’t thought about Zip drives in a long time, but they were awesome. My “work” computer had a Zip drive, and that was the coolest thing. Along that same time frame, I remember that computer was a Gateway. Remember the cow boxes?
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