I’m a digital packrat. I have email saved one 5¼-inch floppies, archives of FidoNet groups I posted to, and every stupid thought I mashed out of my keyboard while under the influence of alcohol, drugs, stupidity, depression or looniness. I never delete anything. But I just deleted every unfinished draft that was hanging around in WordPress. They were holding me back. I was still planning to “get around to posting” plenty of it, but the thing is… if I wasn’t interested enough to finish at the time, there’s no way I’ll ever bother now, especially when the idea isn’t fresh in my mind.
The rest of them were cryptic things like “Why are they eating their lunch in a library?” that were meant to be starting points to longer blog entries I never got to (and eventually forgot even what they were meant to be about), several rants about Comcast that I decided no one needed to be subjected to, and once-topical posts that would make absolutely no sense now that it’s years later.
So, goodbye to that crap. I don’t feel obligated to finish any of it any more. I do feel obligated to post here more often, though. Clearing the detritus out of my head, onto the Internet, where it could be free, used to be therapeutic. Yes, this blog is my mind’s garbage disposal. Or, to use another metaphor (I hate metaphors), my words are puppies that I’m setting free in the woods because I can’t be arsed to take care of them anymore. They’ll be better off on their own. It’s the right thing to do. Those words never did like being cooped up inside, anyway.
If somebody else has any purpose for what I write, that’s their own problem. Personally, I rarely look back at anything I’ve posted. I don’t bother proofreading, either. By the time I’m at the end of whatever I’m babbling, I usually can’t even remember what I’d started writing about in the first place. This junk is just one wrung above stream-of-consciousness. I just want my ideas gone, so they’re no longer my responsibility. Ideas are troublesome little bastards to have bouncing around in your brain. You deal with them!
Oh, yeah. I also want to start not being a dumbshit who never updates her blog, again, because I’ve completely fallen out of the habit of writing. Usually when I’m not posting here, I’m still scribbling away in 87 notebooks, but I haven’t written anything for a while other than notes for things I want to write but probably never will (because I’ll forget what the notes mean and/or be unable to read my own craptastic handwriting by the time I get around to it).
Encourage me and comment, or something.
Personally I don't keep emails, text messages or drafts of blog posts. I am the anti-digital pack rat. I know that deleting doesn't mean it's gone forever but it helps keep me uncluttered, digitally that is. I am book pack rat, I can’t seem to find the mindset necessary to get rid of books.
I don't mind getting rid of books, as long as I'm trading them for other books… The overall amount of “stuff” I has never really decreases.
I'm a data packrat as well…I keep having to buy new harddrives.
Pretty much the only things I don't have are the programs I wrote in BASIC when I was a wee lad.
I think you mean “wee lass.” ;)
No, that's not as funny at all.
I wasn't trying to be funny.
Of course not. That's why “wee lass” is totally unacceptable :p
When I did, will you bury the archives that you have of me with me so that I am complete again? Put that on your Todo list.
Also, procure more Malk.
I meant “die”, but I can't delete my comment to your Delete post. I sense you did this on purpose or it is because I am posting as “Guest”.
No. Why malk? And I dunno.
Because it is now fortified with Vitamin R and is required on all Todo lists.
Shit. More things for my to do list? I can't handle this.
posty post! you need to post. yeah! post! you write good posties. Please write more.
I'm gonna give it the ol' college try.
Then again, I dropped out of college.
posty post! you need to post. yeah! post! you write good posties. Please write more.
I'm gonna give it the ol' college try.
Then again, I dropped out of college.