I can still remember my first job before personal computers were ever invented, but one that needed lots of storage space. Life Insurance.
To me, one of the most drudgery jobs I’ve ever had, even if it was a necessity. Being a “Recorder,” I was responsible for recording insurance premiums on keypunch cards, and logging in payments in batches of incoming revenue. It was boring. [One day, I thought I’d make a list of all the songs that popped into my head during the day, but even that got boring because of all the “reruns.”]
But we’re talking about archiving…
Think about what you would have to archive in those earlier business days: keypunch cards, correspondence, employee records, problems and resolutions – so much paper! And it all had to be kept for at least 7-10 years. The space needed to store these records was inside complete warehouses – and the job of the Archivists or File Clerks.
The reason these Archivists and File Clerks were so important was that they created order for everyone else. Even getting our things ready for archiving was tedious because THESE boxes of materials needed to be recorded too. If there was litigation or a problem, you’d be sure someone would need boxed materials to appear on their desks ASAP.
But for the rest of their existence, these boxes gave all of us peace of mind. The ability of our minds to be uncluttered – to breathe. A brand-new space in which to think, uncluttered by the mess.
Today, I archived a massive tower of folders and pieces of things I “thought I might need.” I’d been strewing these around my tables for months, always saying that I’d get around to archiving them soon. But tomorrow kept getting in the way. And tomorrow’s tomorrow, until everything felt like it was going to cave in on me.
While making Pendaflex folders and tabs today, I thought, “I remember this – it used to be fun for me! Why didn’t I do it sooner?” And in an hour, it was all done: things put neatly away in their own drawers, items I found I really didn’t need – tossed into recycling, blank spaces on my tabletops waiting for the new-new of brainfood. I can breathe again. I’m ready for new thoughts, new discoveries, new relationships – it feels amazingly wonderful!
Why do we fear the clearing off of our plates, the dusting away of cobwebs from our minds? Do we think that the next part of life won’t be as beautiful as this part? On the contrary, it is just the beginning of the next, most wonderful phases of our lives, where expansive thoughts rise, and we can reach out to touch our next, most blessed chapters that hold so much promise. We get to constantly evolve. Constantly explore – learn – discover our real identities. To learn and intuit the next piece of us is the most amazing of journeys.
Wishing you MORE, rather than LESS, Archiving.