Digital maintenance

Posting for two days in a row about books as tangible items that take up space, new readers might be wondering if I ever think about e-readers.

In general, I prefer the feel of a book, and its heft, viewing the progress in pages and flipping to the end and then back. It is not impossible to do some of these things with digital media, but it is not my favorite. It is still something I do periodically, because with some titles it is the only way I can get at them.

This is again an area where the library makes me really happy. As they add access to platforms like Kanopy and OverDrive, it expands what is available.

As it is, I own 59 e-books (and have written 5) that I view on the PC screen when I want to read them. 

They can also be a little disorganized, but that is not nearly as much of an issue as the photos I take, and the files I create to keep track of different things. That doesn't even mention how behind I get on e-mail sometimes. I have recently deleted over 200 old messages in two accounts, and there are many remaining.

The books I have read do not mention tidying digital media. 

It isn't an issue of space in the traditional sense, but it is even more possible to ignore the items, and miss out on any joy or usefulness they might bring.

Marie Kondo does write about getting rid of photographs and other sentimental items, and how there can be an emotional pang. 

She give tips for making this easier: putting photos in envelopes and covering the faces of stuffed animals so they are not staring at you as you discard them. Also, she has you save sentimental items for last, so you take it on when you have become more experienced at recognizing what sparks joy and what doesn't.

I take a lot of photos. 

There are the selfies, most of which I am happy to discard, if I remember to get to it. Then there are also the photos I take at concerts and when visiting attractions that will be featured on the travel blog, and there are pet photos.

I have a greater appreciation for how important the blogging is to me. 

Writing about emotional or political issues is as much a way of sorting my own thoughts as of sharing those thoughts with others, but when I blog about concerts and travel -- even local travel -- it turns out that sharing those photos matters to me. 

I don't know if it is even the sharing so much as the considering and weighing and putting it out into the world: I did this thing. I know this. This happened.

Surprisingly, I am less sentimental with the pet photos. First of all, my sister Maria posts so many that me posting any feels superfluous. In addition, sure, the pictures are cute, but they never capture how cute it was. 

Still, I have been surprised sometimes when I see a photo printed out and have an emotional response to that.

The key is probably not what you delete or whether you delete it, but what you put where you will see it. Whether this is a screensaver slideshow, or a digital picture frame, or periodically changing your profile and background photos, make sure you are enjoying what you have. If something is missing, figure out what it is.

We need joy.

The other tip that might not be as obviously relevant came from when KonMari was writing about handouts from seminars and things, which often pile up because you mean to get to it someday. 

Her answer to that was to incorporate it into your life now. If it is something that you want, don't procrastinate. You can keep the handouts for years and never get to them, or you can do it right away, and not need the handout.

I cleared through sheets and sheets of old preparedness materials. Some of it is outdated, but mostly it is either that I already have it down, or that I am not really going to do it.

I don't miss the paper.