I'm addicted to colorful paper clips (among other things)

By Lonnie Cruse

Hello. My name is Lonnie and I'm addicted to colorful paper clips. And anything else office or desk related.

I wore a black armband for weeks after Office Max closed their doors forever in Paducah, KY. I have to limit my visits to Office Depot. The office aisle in Wal Mart calls out to me, even when I'm taking milk out of the milk case at the back of the store. I really need a twelve step program for this. I may have to start one since there don't seem to be any around. Why? Because I'm addicted. Obsessed. And it's only getting worse.

I recently searched the office aisle in Wal-Mart until I found the colored paper clips. No plain metal paper clips for me, thank you very much. It's the same for bulletin board pins.

Notebooks? I adore them. I have them everywhere, for every use, grocery lists, to-do lists, sermon notes, notes to hubby, notes to friends, notes about notes. I even have a couple of tiny three-ring binders to hold notes.

Plain vanilla file folders? Surely you jest? Mine are all different colors, depending on the subject in that file. And if I teach a class or workshop on a particular subject, complete with handouts, the handouts are printed on color copy paper with matching file folders. Addicted? Obsessed? Yes.

If I happen to sashay by the journal aisle in ANY store, I'm in big trouble. I can't resist a pretty journal. Yes, I do use them, but I also have a stash in my closet . . . just in case. Meaning just in case I need one and haven't bought one in the last day or so. When I say journal, I mean those empty books with pretty covers that usually cost way too much.

One such journal holds my pictures of old barns (because I use those pictures as inspiration for my pencil drawings, which, of course, are kept in another blank artist's journal.) Another journal holds the dried flowers and leaves gathered from my nature walks, which are then glued to the blank pages with notes about where I gathered them. Another is my prayer/thoughts journal. Two journals contain memories of our adventures with our grandsons (one for each boy, of course) which I will give to them when they are too old for further adventures with Grandma and Grandpa. A large vintage journal was used to write down memories of my father and my father-in-law and the wonderful stories they told. It also has memories of our boys growing up. My eldest son loves to read that journal. I also have a writing journal (where I keep notes of ideas for future books, short stories, or articles I want to write, and notes from writing classes or workshops I've either taken or taught) and last but not least is a life journal where I jot notes about my life. I did warn you that I'm obsessed. I've even taught a workshop on journaling. And then there are all the beautiful but blank journals I'm storing for future use.

Nowadays, walking into Office Depot or Wal-Mart has become even more difficult. Suddenly ALL file folders are beautifully multi-colored. Ditto for folders with flaps and closures to carry important papers in. And I am now the proud owner of a green (with multi-colored polka dots) project planner. Yes, I *could* plan my projects on plain paper in a plain notebook, but this thing jumped into my shopping cart and refused to leave. I have the matching file folders but somehow managed not to buy the matching mouse pad. I hope it's still there, in the store, waiting for me. And the matching purse-sized notebooks.

Don't even get me started on all those lovely day planners. What to choose, what to choose? Day at a glance, week at a glance, or month at a glance? I actually prefer to be able to glance at a whole month at once before committing to anything on my calendar, so I know how busy that entire month is and I can shift things if need be. Did you ever see so many choices as to size, not to mention cover? Eeeek!

Antique stores can also pose a danger to the office obsessed. I have a huge metal bulletin board on the wall beside my desk that advertises Scotch O Lass Dried Molasses. It's vintage and it has clips to hold pictures and it lists the days of the week. It's huge, ugly, and I can't live without it. I also have a small Freedent display rack that holds small notebooks on my desk, a larger Dentyne version that holds various sized envelopes, and a VERY large Campbell's soup display rack that sits beside my desk and holds copy paper, large Manila envelopes, photo paper, empty file folders, etc. All purchased from an antique store at a very reasonable price. All in use every single day.

So, dear reader, is your desk colorful and color coordinated? Do your paper clips match your file folders? Does your day planner or your journal sparkle with sequins? If not, why not?

And if you need a twelve-step program for your obsession, just e-mail me. I'll set up a meeting for the first of next month. I'll bring the color coded notebooks. You bring the color coded cookies.