Three Idiots

I’ve noticed that I give the most enjoyment to my readers when I confess that the Organizing Goddess has feet of clay.  Yes, dear readers, even professional organizers are human!

Earlier this year, Barry Manilow appeared on Broadway in a concert of his music.  Back in the day, I was a huge Barry Manilow fan.  This was not a cool thing to admit back then, but I was fearless in my individuality and would happily confess it.  Somebody once said to me, “But all his songs are exactly the same.”  I replied, “Maybe so, but I like that song.”

Hearing that Barry would be appearing on Broadway got me thinking about how much his music had meant to me, particularly in times of trouble.   Shortly thereafter, one of my favorite TV shows, Glee, ran an episode about guilty pleasures, and one of the teenage characters admitted to being a Fanilow.  (Love that word.)

So I decided to buy a Barry Manilow CD and wallow in my uncoolness.  I poked around on Amazon.com and found Ultimate Manilow, which had all the songs that were meaningful to me.  A few days later, I ordered the CD.  Thanks to a new feature on Amazon, you can do an instant download after you purchased a CD.  I downloaded Barry and had a blast going down Memory Lane listening to those songs.

A week later, the CD arrived, and I enjoyed myself all over again listening to it.

Being a tidy person, I then went over to my CD bookcase to put it away.  I scanned my Vocalists section, looking for the M’s, and that’s when I saw it.  Ultimate Manilow.  I already owned this exact CD!

I have no recollection of buying it or listening to it previously.

This discovery put me in mind of a story my sister once told me.  Her husband was an inveterate book-buyer.  His book collection continued to grow unabated throughout the years, which greatly irked my sister.  One day, he came home with Dostoevsky’s The Idiot.  Going over to the bookshelf to put it away, he discovered he already owned it.  My sister, who has a sharp and witty tongue (we are very much alike), responded, “Oh, good.  Now we have three idiots.”

When I discovered my identical Manilow CDs, I took them over to my husband, held them up and said, “Now we have three idiots.”

How many possessions are lurking in your home that you have completely forgotten about?  When’s the last time you refreshed your memory about what you own?

Set aside some time to do a thorough tour of your space.  You may surprise yourself as I did!

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