I guess you could say I’m a neat freak. I like order and tidiness. I like having a place for the scissors and knowing that they are always in the same spot when I need them. I like using the notebook that hasn’t been drawn in to jot my grocery list down. When everything is neat and orderly, I feel good. I think I’ve always been like this, but as I get older, I find I’m much less tolerant of “messy”. I can’t think straight or clearly when the blankets aren’t put away or there are breakfast dishes in the sink. I don’t have a nervous breakdown when the house is in disarray, but definitely feel much happier when the house is picked up and closet doors are closed.
There is a real switch that “clicks” in my brain when things are organized. I can feel it go from off to on instantly. I’m not obsessive compulsive about it (really I’m not), but there is a definite difference in how I feel. I am a classic visual learner, so maybe that has something to do with it. The learning path to my brain is directly connected to the visual path of my eyes. If there’s clutter on the highway, I feel like I’m driving the day after a snowstorm without windshield wiper fluid. I just can’t see clearly and everything slows down.
I’ve found this to be true in my writing as well. I can’t write when the house is alive and filled with “Mommy” and the sounds of the TV. I need quiet to process my thoughts and put them down onto my keyboard. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the “Mommy” and the sounds of the TV too, but for the time I want to be creative, I’ve found that I’m more inspired when things are tucked away in their designated spots and the highway is clear for miles and my wiper fluid it topped off to the brim. I appreciate and enjoy a clean windshield.
