When I designed our new kitchen, I included 2 junk drawers. The contractor pointed out that an extra drawer would encourage extra junk. I agreed, but that's what I wanted.
Junk drawers are a jumble of scissors, small tissue packs, bobby pins, matches, and sticks of gum. Batteries, a measuring tape, ear buds, phone chargers, and random keys. Patches for river rafts and air mattresses, a tiny screwdriver for eyeglass repairs. Andrew's pacifier clip, and multiple lipsticks.
They are also the landing spot for things that serve no practical purpose, but have no other place to go.
In our home, those include a small plastic eagle we bought on a coal train ride in West Virginia. A key chain with Margaret's and my photo on it. A tiny Magic 8 ball. Jack's kindergarten ID. A Darth Vader pen. Assorted novelty erasers. A headless Lego guy. Tim's first Blackberry that Margaret used to play to with, pretending she was a spy.
I straighten the junk drawer every now and then when it gets out of control. This gives me a chance to sift, sort, and remember. If these little things were packed away in a box, I'd likely never see them again, and I appreciate being able to touch them and move them about.
I know they will always be there because it is proven that no one ever cleans a junk drawer except for Mom. Sure, Tim will sigh and claim there are NO MORE NAIL CLIPPERS when he is looking right at them; he'll shuffle some stuff around, but he's not going to toss anything.
I like order as much as the next person, but I also love the little family museum I root through every day.
Now were did those scissors go?
7 comments:
I have two junk drawers also....just cleaned one out. I don't know why I keep some of the stuff that I do, but maybe you explained it better.
That is THE perfect description/homage to the junk drawer. I will never look at mine in the same way again.
I agree completely that a junk drawer is full of memories that would otherwise be lost. I have picture magnets of my cats that have been gone for 17 years along with misc keys that I have no idea what they go to but I can't rid of them until I know for sure they are useless. These items have moved 5 times with us to various states and they always wind up right back where they belong in the kitchen junk drawer.
Donna
Your junk drawer? As a fellow Northern Virginian, I am disappointed that you would not say a few words about Charlottesville.
Our one junk drawer is cleaned only by me; you're right. My husband will sift through until he finds the random pink Benadryl that's no longer encased in its oftentimes adult-proof plastic (but is still magically fully intact, uncrushed, HOW?) but he won't throw away the batteries that are clearly dead. Or the toothpicks that have fallen out of box that never properly closed. NO ONE IS GOING TO PUT THESE IN THEIR MOUTH AND IF THEY DO PLEASE DON'T TELL ME BECAUSE I'LL NEVER LOOK AT THEM THE SAME DON'T BE NASTY. Our drawer also has a hodgepodge of things: birthday candles, matches, Imodium, screwdrivers, a few cords that go to probably nothing we still own but the minute I throw one out he'll be asking for "the small grey cord that I'm sure was in this drawer." Most don't bother me, and some definitely tell stories. I think what bothers me about the drawer is the drawer itself. It's old, like the kitchen, and it all needs to be torn down and replaced. Boy, I sure know how to make things about me.
when we moved into this house we had a bedroom that served no purpose at all, we just weren't using it. As time passed I called it the junk drawer. Anything big that needed a home...stick it in the junk drawer. Now I am happy to say it houses kidlet number 2 and ALL her JUNK.
The contents of your junk drawer are very similar to mine:). Our house is small, but with a ginormous kitchen with so many drawers that I have 3 junk drawers. It drives my husband crazy and every 4 months or so I'll come home to him glaring at me with the junk all over the kitchen floor as he reorganizes them. They look great and orderly(he's a master of organization)----until another few months pass. Polar opposites should not share junk drawers.
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