This is Junk Drawer

& on the third day, she posted on Substack

If you’re reading this, you don’t make me nervous. Yeah, that’s a lie. Eeek! I’m testing out this new bit where I try a lie on for size, wiggle about to feel if it has the legroom to grow into a truth, and look around to see if anyone’s onto me. It’s a new scam, low success-rate so far. 

Truth is, I’m nervous about writing this for a million reasons; but more than nerves, I’m tired of telling people that I’m finally launching my Substack and then, back at home, staring at my ceiling, willing everyone to forget I said anything at all. I’ve famously had the right intentions and little motivation to act on them. But it’s May now. Spring cleaning is already upon us.

I drew this, if you even care!

The thing I like most about junk drawers is that they don’t have any rules. You can stick family heirlooms, expired CVS ExtraCare Bucks, and glitter glue in the same container and you’re not doing anything wrong, per se. Sure, a cursory Google search for “junk drawer” offers tens of millions of suggestions for how to organize and maintain yours in just under half a second, but I think that says more about the world we live in than it does the function of the junk drawer. Whose Mom said Hey, you know what our designated drawer for disarray needs? Color coding. Labels. Rules!!! Mine, obviously. Resist the urge to sentence your spillage to modular bins! Resist!!

Junk Drawer is a tribute to my favorite hidey-hole. I’m a memory-hoarder who can construct quite compelling arguments in favor of the things I don’t (and won’t) discard.

In my upcoming installment of Junk Drawer, I declutter some of the junkish collectables I held onto last month, and try my very best to make some meaning out of them. In future iterations you can expect a motley crew of clutter: monthly musings, epic playlists (objective), essays, grocery and to-do lists, and…whatever else I want. No rules, remember? 

Thanks for being close!

Soon,

Callan

Thinking about your junk drawer…