1x+7n= ZERO

I'm doing a little math here. It's likely you'll need me to show my work. I'll use this post as my "scratch paper."

x = an organized person. This is a person who puts things away, knows where they go and repairs them when they get broken. This person buys weed killer AND uses it. This is a person that throws things away when they are empty or otherwise at their limit. This is a person who is willing to spend money on something new and then care for it to keep from having to replace it again. This person is a little uptight and less likely to relax.

n = an UNorganized person. This is a person who leaves things out indefinitely. This person doesn't usually know where things go and often has to ask an organized person where to look for what they want. This is a person who decorates the yard only with things that aren't usually yard items; and leaves them there so long that eventually, they decay or get lost in the grass (that can't be mowed because this thing is in the way). This is a person who is expert at garbage stacking (it's best to start with the garbage can in a corner for the extra support), can't smell the garbage to know when to take it out, and often doesn't realize that the things around them ARE garbage! This person often doesn't know what color their carpet is. This is a person who uses the garage to hide their junk pile...only leaving a big enough space for the car (so that the organized drivers won't throw a tantrum). This is a person who is generally content with the way things are (except for the uptight organized people they have to live with).

In my experience, 1x+7n = ZERO. One person who WANTS to be organized has no chance. The organized person, to survive, adopts some (many) of the unorganized characteristics. In the spirit of "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em," the organized person starts pulling laundry out of the basket instead of getting it folded and put away. They mow the lawn/weeds in very erratic lines because they don't have time to clean the yard AND mow. They step over the messes left around the house because in the list of things that MUST be done, a pile of magazines shredded and strewn around the house ranks very low.

And so our house is a mess. I'm the only one who cares - it seems. I guess 1 out of 8 unhappy people is actually a success. Right? Ugh.