requium for my table
I gave away my computer table today. I intended to give it away as part of our office painting/space consolidation, but the actual departure
Anna and I had talked about consolidating our computers/workspace in general, “someday” terms. When my cheap 19” monitor emitted a pop one morning, we took it as an omen that someday was now. And then and now I still see it as a good idea, intellectually speaking. We now share one desk, one monitor, one keyboard. Though, we do have two mice (because cheap KVM switches don’t accommodate USB mice or deal well with scroll wheels), this now frees up a great deal of space where my monitor and computer were for more useful space allocation.
Hence the departing table.
But a little history - just a little. I’m not interested in making this table stand in as some symbolic link to my past. Okay, maybe I am a little. The history, though, revolves around the fact that I wanted this particular table for a very long time, finally got it and have used it for over five years now. It is a little worse for wear - the faux wood-grain is starting to peel, and there are five years worth of scratches - but it served me well.
I cleared off the table, dusted it, planned to take it to goodwill at some point this coming week, but dreaded all that would involve (disassembly, stuff into 4runner, reassembly, etc). Then it struck me. Throughout our neighborhood there are constantly piles of dilapidated shit in people’s front yards with a sign written in cardboard “FREE” explaining that you-yes, you-can turn one person’s trash into your very own trash. I’m being facitious, but our friend, Cindy, actually found a run down bread box that she took home. I am sure it has been lovely restored into a beautiful crafty breadbox, rather than sitting in their garage collecting dust (where it would be if I had picked the thing up. If I had a garage. Crap, I need a garage). With all the crap, a perfectly nice table should go quickly! I put it out in front of the house, and topped it with a working but extraneous desk lamp (with a slightly broken shade). I figured I’d leave it out through tomorrow night. If it was still there by tomorrow night, I’d make preparations for hauling it to goodwill. I got back to the work of clearing out the office.
Not a half hour later table and lamp were gone.
It was an abrupt departure. My settling discontent with it just reaffirms the space between the intellectually pragmatic situation of sharing desk/computer space with Anna and the practical application. Ultimately, I don’t mind sharing. But I do miss my table in that it represented in its silly way a space separate, apart, my own. A space of my own. We all have to make concessions, right? I’m embracing the intellectually pragmatic solution. It’ll grow on me. I know it. I keep telling myself it will. It will. Really.
Anna and I had talked about consolidating our computers/workspace in general, “someday” terms. When my cheap 19” monitor emitted a pop one morning, we took it as an omen that someday was now. And then and now I still see it as a good idea, intellectually speaking. We now share one desk, one monitor, one keyboard. Though, we do have two mice (because cheap KVM switches don’t accommodate USB mice or deal well with scroll wheels), this now frees up a great deal of space where my monitor and computer were for more useful space allocation.
Hence the departing table.
But a little history - just a little. I’m not interested in making this table stand in as some symbolic link to my past. Okay, maybe I am a little. The history, though, revolves around the fact that I wanted this particular table for a very long time, finally got it and have used it for over five years now. It is a little worse for wear - the faux wood-grain is starting to peel, and there are five years worth of scratches - but it served me well.
I cleared off the table, dusted it, planned to take it to goodwill at some point this coming week, but dreaded all that would involve (disassembly, stuff into 4runner, reassembly, etc). Then it struck me. Throughout our neighborhood there are constantly piles of dilapidated shit in people’s front yards with a sign written in cardboard “FREE” explaining that you-yes, you-can turn one person’s trash into your very own trash. I’m being facitious, but our friend, Cindy, actually found a run down bread box that she took home. I am sure it has been lovely restored into a beautiful crafty breadbox, rather than sitting in their garage collecting dust (where it would be if I had picked the thing up. If I had a garage. Crap, I need a garage). With all the crap, a perfectly nice table should go quickly! I put it out in front of the house, and topped it with a working but extraneous desk lamp (with a slightly broken shade). I figured I’d leave it out through tomorrow night. If it was still there by tomorrow night, I’d make preparations for hauling it to goodwill. I got back to the work of clearing out the office.
Not a half hour later table and lamp were gone.
It was an abrupt departure. My settling discontent with it just reaffirms the space between the intellectually pragmatic situation of sharing desk/computer space with Anna and the practical application. Ultimately, I don’t mind sharing. But I do miss my table in that it represented in its silly way a space separate, apart, my own. A space of my own. We all have to make concessions, right? I’m embracing the intellectually pragmatic solution. It’ll grow on me. I know it. I keep telling myself it will. It will. Really.