Pack up your troubles, III

I cleared out my desk today.

I love the catharsis of pitching PowerPoints and sales decks into the recycling bin. Useless trinkets, old pens and disks, plastic forks and sugar packets crest the top of the plastic liner. The fuller the bin, the purer the soul.

Oh, it's that time of year again, my colleagues joked, as their eyes swept over the pristine and gleaming faux finish of my little desk by the window.

And it's true. Every August I prepare for September: the leaving month. Because I am practical, even when I am sentimental. I prepare. I organize.

I have eliminated the need to quickly stuff belongings into a canvas bag folded neatly in a drawer for the occasion. I can simply switch off my monitor, offer one of a few choice hand gestures, and leave my desk empty-handed.

17 August 2005, 22:08