On my Desk

Linda Marie

A Desk of One's Own

I love my desk. It's an old-fashioned wooden desk, painted a dark greenish blue, with a glass top and seven drawers. I bought it last year at a consignment furniture store when I knew I was heading in the "work-from-home" direction. It sits next to my husband's, before windows that face our front yard gardens and the street. For much of the year, a hanging basket with flowers is in the window attracting hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies. I'm mulling a bird feeder for the winter months, but wonder if a non-hibernating bear will yank it down before our eyes. This happens in our neighborhood.

A stack of unread books rises up on one corner of the desk next to a "True Rulers are not Born; We are Made" mug filled with pencils and pens. On my left lies my bullet journal and an inbox of bills, project folders, and other urgent items I don't want to forget about. On my right sits a statuette of a woman reading, a small print urging "Hold on to your dream," and a pretty stone from Ireland. In the middle rests my new iMac, which has saved my eyes.

My father, who was in Human Resources, didn't work from a desk. I emulated that when I was General Manager at Malaprop's Bookstore/Cafe. Desks can project a fiefdom and hierarchy, and I preferred team-style leadership. But now, as a remote worker, my desk is my organizing hub, the center of which is my bullet journal. Therein lies my agenda, my goals, my calendar, my journal, and a place to be creative with art and quotes. I check it every day, and copy all appointments into my calendar in the cloud. 

I have two pieces of wall art above my desk, for inspiration. One is "Grandmother Tree" by John MacKah, and the other is a signed broadside by Billy Collins of his poem, "My Hero." Though I prefer minimalism, my desk gets crowded. At the end of each day, I clean and organize the surface, so that every morning I start anew.

Diane

My Starship Enterprise

My mahogany desk was waiting for me in the back corner of my favorite consignment store, Foryu furnishings. I rubbed my hand across the smooth top and noted there were no nicks, no water marks and was drawn to the deep tone and fine grain.  How could I be so lucky?  The sales person told me the piece was a hard sell it because it was a narrow dining table without any chairs.  He showed me the two leaves to double the length to 8 feet.  

As if the wood builder knew me, the carved cross beam that connect the pedestals at the base is the perfect perch for my feet.  I often tap out my anxiety or press my toes downward and stretch my arches as I try to stay focused when working on a deadline.  My desk is my favorite place to write creatively.  It has become my Starship Enterprise! I sit down to write and want to go places. 

A wee bit of truth here.  I cleared off my desk a few minutes ago knowing I was to put a picture of my desk on same page as Linda-Marie.  She is soooo organized, thoughtful.  I am, too, yadayada, I know - in my own way.  The photo above is how my desk looks at least 1 day a week.  My desk can at times look how I feel.  A bit busy, if not cluttered with more items than I can process in one sitting!  Maybe this is true of all of us.  I know as items become piles on my desk, it is less and less likely the items on the bottom will get the same attention as the fresh ones on top.  

To counter this, I clear off my desk regularly and use a 'woven basket system' for sorting.  My desk and study are a refuge.  Unlike other surfaces in my house, if it goes on my desk, I will get to it.  I have a large leather clad recycle bin that I make use of as I work through letters, bills and hand-outs from meetings.    I do admit, clearing through the piles is annoying, but it is part of readying my ship for the next adventure.