UNDER THE BIG MOP

This is my phrase for when we have general housecleaning at city hall. It is a special time when we go through and get rid of crap that we should have gotten rid of before, but didn't. The reason is so we can make room for new crap.

Oh we never put it that way of course, but it is the real reason. Still, that doesn't mean we always love getting rid of the old crap. Which is where the hard part comes in. Having to part with some of those dear treasures can really be next to impossible at times.

Now I will admit this is not just my employees' problem. I can be a pack rat myself. I don't know, there are just some things that retain a real sentimental value and even if the are utterly worthless I just hate to part with them. I know that several of my employees have a similar feeling.

But despite that nature, we do find ourselves periodically in the position to have to say good-bye to our cherish whatever. We play a sad song, rejoice over our will power in purging our lives of some unnecessary clutter and then console ourselves by making room for new clutter.

Ah it is to laugh, as somebody once said. And the real fun is we always define this game of moving old junk for new junk as progress. Maybe in terms of the size of piles we try to use, but otherwise things seldom change that much.

Which in reality is fine by me. All that change that truly alters the work place or storage rooms is just way too traumatic for my anal retentive clan. The poor gang just is so prone to enjoying the little things of life. How can I deprive them the simple pleasure of hording useless junk?

So I don't. Then I don't have to do it either. That is the best part. And my employees are so relieved when I let them holding to there crap, they don't even notice I am doing the same.

I suppose the one reason I felt a need to even put this in a blog was as tribute to the endurable capacity of the human spirit to pretty much do what it wants regardless of what is logical. I've never figured how why we are so ashamed to celebrate being so crazy in the way we do some things?

Some people really like to pretend they can make sense out of life. They have no sense of humor and I figure are going to die miserable too.

I might pity their lack of zest for life, but that doesn't mean I intend to join them. If that means I have to let one of my employees hold onto a hunk of crap he or she doesn't need because it makes them happy, then it works for me.

I just don't plan on making a habit out of admitting we are doing this as a habit. There are some things it is so much better and fun to lie about. At least so we can still pretend we are sane.