Purification rituals

10305303-document-shredding-in-boston-areaFor me, there’s an almost spiritual feeling to deep cleaning my house.  I feel unburdened.  This is especially true when I tackle my inbox and learn that I’m current on all my bills.  Thanks to AutoPay that’s usually the case, but when the box gets too full, I panic.

The whole purification process is much easier lately, because I got a good scanner (this one, if you’re curious, which is a lovely little workhorse). I no longer file. Instead, I pay my bills or review informational documents, scan them, and then shred the paper copy.

I’m careful to back up my scanned files, lest something bad happen to my computer, so I feel my data is pretty darn safe — and I no longer have stacks of paper everywhere. My stacks were organized, but they were still stacks and therefore unsightly and oppressive.

In addition to my purification ritual, I took time out today to have a nice long lunch with my friend Michael Phillips, who blogs at Pro Commerce. Michael is a wonderful and amazing man. Even though he is an incredibly sophisticated, intelligent, and knowledgeable person, he also maintains a childlike sense of wonder about all the interesting things in the world. He is interested in everything. That’s a rare quality in any person and unusually rare in someone over 50. Being with Michael is like watching the Fountain of Youth in real time. It’s not about keeping our bodies young; it’s about keeping our minds open and agile.

Today was both profitable and delightful, but I’m glad that I put up two lengthy posts last night, since my activities today precluded writing. I’ll try to put up an illustrated edition soon, and I’ll be back to blogging tomorrow.