Public Service: Offload Mental Clutter Now

I was folding the socks this weekend and I realized that I have memorized the sock preferences for three people who aren't me. My husband and my sons all wear similar socks, but with key differences. If I don't remember the differences, I can't get the correct socks into the correct drawers.

Evidence:

  • My husband is the only one who does not wear his socks outside without shoes. Therefore, his socks are relatively clean and he likes to keep them that way.
  • #2 son wears only AND1 brand socks and only the style that doesn't show above the sneaker and only in his exact size—no bigger socks need apply.
  • #1 son wears all the other permanently dirty, too tall, too big socks. Except if they're scratchy.

That's a lot of information, right? Does any of it have anything to do with writing? Absolutely not.

Which is my point.

I'm carrying all this useless knowledge around in my head which means I can instantly categorize and sort other people's socks and in the meantime I'm losing the plot threads and character motivations I've worked so hard to develop for my books.

Counter Productive Memory Stuffing (CPMS) is harming my writing. So I'm reversing it. Right here, right now. I've typed up this sock trivia, entered it in my blog, and, therefore, removed it from my brain. Poof. It's gone.

Feels great.

Want to try? You don't have to be a writer—this offer is open to anyone with extra mind clutter! Do you know the names of all the Thomas trains? All the lyrics to Jessie's Girl? Still harboring the astrological signs of every boy you ever crushed on in junior high? Now's your chance to clear these items out for good.

Simply type your extraneous facts in a comment and this blog will retain that information so you can make room in your mind for the important things. Like character details. Or the date of the next Nordstrom's sale. Or the pitching rotation for the Red Sox Rays.

Go ahead and give it a try. You know you wanna. Come drop some facts on my blog, baby!

Ellen

P.S. For anyone who wonders how I will sort the socks this week now that I no longer remember whose are whose, "Good question." I won't. Because I can't. But guess what? I bet the boys (big and small) will work it out. They might be picky about their socks but they're resourceful.

P.P.S. For anyone who didn't have the lyrics to Jessie's Girl memorized but now as the chorus on an unending loop, sorry. You know I wish that I had Jessie's girl. da na na na na na Jessie's girl. Where can I find a woman like that? Like Jessie's girl...

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