January 18, 2008

I am an anally organized person. My Type A personality shudders at disarray and clutter.

A recent profile thingy pegged me to a ‘T’:

• You are balanced, orderly, and organized. You like your ducks in a row.
• You are powerful and competent, especially in the workplace.
• People can see you as stubborn and headstrong. You definitely have a dominant personality.
• You have the classic “Type A” personality.

I would be such a good blind person. Everything has a place where it belongs so one knows where it is the next time it’s needed. Groping in the dark, I would know exactly where to find what I was looking for. Life can be simple.

As long as a teen resides in my house, it’s no longer a house. It’s just a landing zone.

At work, my office is neat and uncluttered. I really do love my office. Every morning when I first arrive, I dust my desk, phone, computer monitor, and keyboard. (Picking up on the Type A?) Any stray papers that may have been left behind the night before I properly file. And many evenings, I work late, enjoying the tranquility of organization.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. I love my son. Honest, I do. While charming, witty, and creative, Nick is the polar opposite of organized and, as such, has totally screwed up the natural organization and order that used to dominate my house.

Many times I cringe when walking through the door at night, fearful of what will await me. (A couple of times, I’ve actually turned around and walked right back out.) Usually it’s clothes and shoes strewn about the bench by the front door. Never mind the fact there’s a coat rack mounted on the wall RIGHT BESIDE the bench.

Recognizing how clean I keep my office, most would be appalled at the messiness of my house. That’s right - my house is a disaster. I’ve given up the battle at home, succumbing to the fact that, as long as a teen resides in my house, it’s no longer a house. It’s just a landing zone.

You have the classic “Type A” personality.

I’ve talked about Nick’s bathroom before, but skipped the part where he feels the need to visually express his messy nature - on a continual basis. Besides the piles of clothes (his top bunk serves as an extra dresser, while the dresser itself is empty), at any given time, there’ll also be a handful of cups scattered about (Nick’s ‘trail’). (One time, I counted a dozen cups in Nick’s room.) Or foodstuffs (more of Nick’s ‘trail’).

Don’t even ask me about the kitchen or, should I say, what’s left of it. I have the following cartoon stuck on my refrigerator …

(click to view full size image)

Despite my best efforts to ‘train’ him while he was young, it just never sunk in - cleaning up after himself has never been a strong point. (I think he idolized Pigpen from the Peanuts gallery.)

Get the picture?

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