Nerve Center of Nervous Center?

I am happily afflicted with ADHD and thus am always worried that I’m going to ‘miss’ something. It is why folks like us make stacks and assemblages of all sorts of things - all part of our lateral filing system - very little goes in a cabinet or a drawer unless there is an ‘out in the open/in a notebook’ notation of what is where and when it went in. I have a lot of drawers in my world and most of them are barren.

The photograph that accompanies this piece is instructive. It illustrates the things that I am working on or must be working on or ought to be working on, the things I need to be paying attention to.

This is my work table.

Let’s take a stroll, shall into, into the detritus that defines my work. We will go from bottom left clockwise with only this first exception which is the center of the table.

There we find a handsome Tar Heel Ram pitcher, pens, pencils, Sharpies, markers, letter openers, rubber bands, scotch tape, clips and paper clips, razor blades, an address stamp, hand sanitizer (never use), various paperweights, rulers, quirky ceramic penguins (from the 21C Museum collection-fun to look at), a large squeeze ball to word of creakiness, stamps, a few coasters for my ever-sweating glasses, cups and water bottles, scissors, some business cards, a Wonder Boom speaker for rocking out while I work and an egg timer which is helpful in timing me when I am writing and a wrist brace to help ward off that devilish carpal tunnel, a random watch and a wonderful little book of excellent dirty jokes. These all the fuel for the work to be undertaken.

Now to the periphery.

My large, red, heavy-duty, Swingline stapler.

A list of things to do-these multiply like rabbits in heat.

Information on tickets for a Braves game later this summer in Atlanta.

UPS tracking notices for books I have sent out to other authors and requesting friends.

A large manila envelope with all receipts and tickets from whatever month it is-May is looking especially fat.

A stack of blank legal pads, topped with some tax sheet information-time to do those tax sheets - want to get my returns in well before October 15th - Fat chance…

A stack of materials from Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and such be diligently read-applicable to estate planning, taxation, travel information.

Documentation as to the applied for renewal TSA Flight Pre-Check convenience.

Information as to our eldest son’s wedding trip (a gift from his Mother and me) expenditures to keep the ‘books balanced’.

A couple of good books recently finished which will be addressed in my Recommended Reads notes that go up on my blog and website regularly. If you haven’t already figured it out, I read like a banshee.

A stack of monthly bills to be paid.

Checkbooks-I maintain three-one for repository inflows, one for outflow and bills and one for my writing and publishing efforts.

A stack of envelopes.

A stack of charitable solicitations I regularly receive. I’m on a lot of lists it seems and I’m happy to be a cheerful giver.

Flight information for travels to Atlanta and Montana this summer-nice to be able to set this sort of thing up again.

Information on season football tickets and seat licenses at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill, also information as to room reservations at the Carolina Inn for various games.

Notes and a book on the often foot in the mouth Price Phillip. Am giving some thought to seeing if I can work some of his doozies into my next book as chapter titles or lead ins. Going to study on it. Lord, he could spew out a gaffe.

A large print working copy of YOU HAVE YOUR WAY, just released in this past mid-April.Also, two substantive thesauruses and a good dictionary.

Restaurant gift certificates I bought at the beginning of the pandemic-now planning on using a few, giving a few as gifts.

A short story, LUNAR LIGHT, that I am going to soon incorporate into my newest book that I’m writing, title is SLIM AND NONE.

A bag of CBD gummies, supposed to help with all sorts of things and God Knows I need help just about everywhere…

More this and that, here and there notes, applicable mostly writing thoughts, also for schedules and appointments… I do actually and fairly faithfully keep a hard copy calendar which somewhere around here…

A P&C newspaper article about lawyer advertising on television, which has spurred me to rip off a pithy letter to the editor. Most of that stuff is awful and I have always abhorred almost all of it.

Many pads with more notes and ongoing plot structure maneuverings.

And lastly, my laptop, repository of my thinking, my writing, my emails, the fix for my news and sports junkie ways, my keystone.

So, there you go.

What do you have in your wallet?