February 2022--I found myself repeating a phrase whenever we couldn’t find something.
“Look in the junk drawer,” I’d say. Or “Did you check the junk drawer?” I'd ask.
The junk drawers in our kitchen (and I’ll admit there were some in our bathrooms, office, family room, dining room hutch—and the list goes on) weren’t that large but for some reason I always thought whatever we were missing just might be in there.
Most of the time, I was wrong. But on those few occasions when I’d close my eyes as I was pulling open the handle, then open them and spot the item I was looking for, I’d laugh out loud and whoop it up a little. You know, a little celebratory whoop and I’d sing out while doing a little dance—"Whoomp There it is!” (Now I can’t help but picture Tag Team in the kitchen scooping out ice cream!)
Our junk drawers I’m sure are no different than everyone else’s. A dozen or so pens, of which eight probably don’t work, a flashlight (good chance that doesn’t work either), scissors that sometimes cut and sometimes just tear, losing lottery tickets, rubber bands so old they break when you try to stretch them out, and of course the obligatory roll of Scotch tape—you know the one you can’t use because the edge slipped off the cutter and now is nowhere to be found but you keep it because you know someday you’ll find the end.
But there also were things in there that had some value—not monetary but at least a little sentimental value. A holy card from a friend’s parent who passed, a thank you note from a buddy, a magnet from a town visited, candles from a birthday long ago, a newspaper clipping from when people actually held a newspaper in their hands to catch up on current events, a button that says it’s ok to wish me a Merry Christmas (I leave that in there so I’ll always know where it is each year), a photograph of my first dog, and more.
It's because of these little treasures that I don’t like calling it a junk drawer.
But then I think about the 95% of what is in there and how it’s hardly ever used if at all and I figure it’s ok to call it a junk drawer.
Junk drawers are actually big business now. Yup—just about every big box store, office supply shop and some Etsy entrepreneurs are making junk drawer organizers. The idea behind that is everything in its place. Well, if that was really true, we wouldn’t have a need for junk drawers .
Right now, that drawer is filled with odds and ends that for one reason, or another don’t seem to belong anywhere else. So much for the organizers. I tried one once. Those little compartments filled up so fast and the drawer still looked messy. So, I trashed it. (I’m surprised I didn’t just find another drawer to put it in.) I still kept a small basket in one or two of them, if for no other reason than to make it look like I was trying to be somewhat organized.
Personally, I find a "junk drawer organizer" to be a bit of an oxymoron—these words definitely are contradictory terms appearing in conjunction. A junk drawer, in my estimation, is supposed to be cluttered, messy and unorganized. Otherwise, it’s just a drawer, right?
To spend money to make it look organized is, in my opinion, money not well spent. Instead, spend it on more junk for the junk drawer.
If you’re going to take me up on that suggestion, try getting a Junk Drawer Starter Kit. (Yes, they really are a thing.) The makers of the kit tout its usefulness by filling it with rubber bands (hopefully newer ones than mine), scotch tape, a pen, small tools, flashlight, scissors, batteries, and a lint brush—among other items.
The company ads boast how it makes a perfect housewarming or hostess gift.
Because you know, nothing says “welcome to the neighborhood” or “thanks for having us over” more than a junk drawer starter kit. *insert smirk and/or face plant*
I noticed that none of the starter kits I found include a tube of super glue—an item that 58% of people surveyed have in their junk drawers. That same survey showed rubber bands are the number one item in junk drawers, with birthday candles coming in a close second.
I think the survey missed the mark.
The number one item in my kitchen junk drawer always has been crumbs.
Taking it one day at a time.
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