Hubby was a big “Bloom County” comic strip fan although it was not one I was familiar with when we started dating. One of the characters – Bill the Cat – often used the Aargh! for exclamations of different reactions – and I don’t know, maybe it was adapted from “pirate talk”. Anyway, I seem to be having somewhat of an Aargh! stretch here when it comes to finding files. Like most people, I have drawers and boxes full and that doesn’t count the thousands I now have on the computer. I have posted about this before and a recent conversation with a friend, plus my annoyance at not being able to locate a couple of fairly important files, is what triggered the thought.

I cannot imagine what I did with the two missing files – well, the two I’m frustrated with at the moment – because I have a specific place where each of them should be. That means I filed them in a temporary place even though I have checked the usual “temporary place” to no avail. Or I inadvertently filed them in a wrong folder/box. The primary issue with files is of course the sheer volume as you accumulate things and what on earth to do with them. I’m not referring to “hoarding”; rather to the normal things we all experience in life. For example, I still have a large number of files from my second career dealing with projects that have long since been over and there is virtually no likelihood anyone will ever ask me for them again. And yet, what if someone does? That collides right into the primary issue when I (and most people) decide to clear some out. There are few things more mind-numbing than starting to go through old files. Some are easy; expired insurance documents I meant to toss is a good example. Beyond that, you often have to think about what to do with each one and about fifty (or fewer) into it, the temptation to toss increases. While that may be okay, sure as the world, that may be the item you do later realize you needed to keep.