Paper addiction
I began cleaning out drawers today. When your junk drawer has expanded into three designated junk drawers with overflow scattered in other drawers around the house, it’s safe to say that you have too much junk.
What became rather apparent, after I’d started emptying the drawers, is that it’s not so much junk as notepads. It’s no secret that I have a thing for paper and journals and whatnot. But even I hadn’t realized just how many notepads I had scattered around the house. I gathered all 57 of them together and took a photograph.
After I took the photograph, which did not include the three notepads on my desk, I found four more and will probably find even more that I’ve squirreled away in various places.
Adding my stash of notepads to my stash of journals, I don’t believe I could possibly run out of paper for the rest of my life. And it’s not that I actually use them. Not at all. I buy a pretty notepad or journal and then save it for special. I’m not exactly sure what special entails—I evidently haven’t stumbled across it yet. In the meantime, I buy the more mundane looking ones that I do use and in such quantities that it’s a sure bet that I’ll never need to discover what saving the rest for special means. I have this vision of the lad sorting through my belongings one day, finding a huge box of yellowed paper and journals, and remarking to his wife or children, “She was saving these for special.”
My junk drawers are considerably lighter now. And I’ve discovered notepads and notebooks I’d forgotten I had. They are going into an easily accessible box where I can forage through the notepads when I need a new one. And I must enforce the rule: Do not buy any more notepads, no matter how pretty, cute, or unusual they are. I must resist and I know darned well that I won’t.
You do deserve applause for that. I haven’t allowed myself to walk into the Barnes and Noble around here in ages because I have no will power. I should try buying a half gallon of cold milk before going there the next time. 
Posted by Kate on 09/24/07 at 03:55 PM
Imagine if I’d had a half-gallon of ice cream instead of the milk.
Ha ha ha ha ha. I was just going to do the same thing (collect up all the notebooks and take a photo) but my box of things, some of which is notebooks has been moved, and I wasn’t in the mood for finding it. But no way is it 57.
But, I was in Paris last weekend, and we were making our way to the big department store so I could get some paper and pens (you know you will find some Clairefontaine in Paris, no sweat), and we came up out of the Metro at the biggest book/office supply place in the center of the city, which I didn’t know was there. Even though it’s split up across streets and there’s this great fountain with water pouring from the mouths of these huge monsters, for photos and distraction, my paper alarm was sirening in my head. I was drooling like those monsters at what I knew lay ahead. It did not disappoint. In the basement was major start of schoolyear Saturday shopping madness. And every single size and shape notebook I could possibly want. So I got three. And some pens.
When we finally did make it to the department store, I drooled again, but found I was sated and could buy no more.
Posted by steph on 09/24/07 at 06:21 PM
You stopped at only three? And were sated? Oh my gosh. In Paris? Surrounded by Clairfontaine, Exacompta, and probably Rhodia and all the other undoubtedly wonderful papers that are too thick to spit through? Oh, you are good. What restraint. Wow.
Posted by Kate on 09/24/07 at 07:29 PM
Sticky notes, tape flags, spiral bound subject notebooks, legal sized narrow-lined yellow pads, journals, pro-advantage spiral bound notebooks with sheets that tear out, a collection of notepads from hundreds of businesses, three ring binders filled with lined paper, magnetized shopping list pads, sticky tape arrows, more note pads that are shaped like animals, people, objects and more can be yours for the asking! Just send an SASE to....
steph, you couldn’t find something (anything?) at Galeries Lafayette? 
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It’s this sort of addiction (which I share) that made me doubly proud of myself yesterday.