It is fun to get feedback from readers on the silliness I sometimes share in this editorial space. It’s nice to hear from people who agree that we all need a little frivolity now and then. Not every column needs to be about some pressing political matter or social issue.
In fact, as some of my faithful readers know, that is why my column is dubbed Unorganized Territory. The name came about when I moved back to Cook County after living away for 20-plus years. When I received my first property tax statement as a North Shore homeowner, I learned that I reside in the unorganized territory of Grand Marais.
Not only is that where I live now, that is where I grew up.
I decided that explains why I have always had a hard time getting organized. That is why I am always misplacing my coffee cup or my shoes. That is why it’s so hard for me to balance my checkbook and meet IRS tax deadlines.
And that is a perfect title for this column, because Unorganized Territory reflects what I write about as well. Although I always try to be encouraging, I do sometimes take on tough topics. I’ve shared my sentiments on national, regional and local government actions—or inactions. I write about the First Amendment and Freedom of Speech whenever I can. But I also write about fishing, hiking, and four-wheeling. Frequently I tell stories about my co-workers and my family, much to their dismay.
And sometimes, I just share random silliness, as I did in the recent column about the need to have a “column-in-the-can” for busy weeks. My friend Bill got a mention in that column, as he is the one who keeps reminding me that I should have a spare, something lighthearted that could run anytime.
I finally followed Bill’s advice and managed to write a back-up column. It felt great to be ahead of things. I almost felt like I wasn’t a resident of Unorganized Territory. But the relief was short-lived. I used the “extra” column the very next week.
It was last week’s Silly but Simple column.
I don’t mind too much though, because I received some delightful feedback from a reader over that flippant column about laundry jugs. If you missed it, my complaint was about the awkwardness of the rectangle jugs that are made to sit on a shelf with a pour spout sticking out, getting in the way. I expressed dismay that these heavy and unwieldy jugs were just about all you can find at the grocery store.
I did try to be positive and I made sure to mention how happy I am to find the old-fashioned bottles. Every time I do a load of laundry and I’m able to use the traditional style jug, I smile. Silly, but simple!
However, an observant reader noticed the whine-within-the-whine in that column-in-the-can.
I happened to mention another little annoyance— the sticky soap cup. In either soap dispensing method— the irritating new jug with its little cup or the old-fashioned bottle with its cap—you have to rinse the container before putting it back on the bottle or you have a gooey mess on the side of the laundry jug.
It was just a little side comment, not really important. Certainly not anything I was thinking about when I received a call from someone who didn’t want to give their name. Generally calls like that are from angry people. Anonymous callers generally want to complain about being mistreated by their boss or by the police or society, but they don’t want to give their name so I can figure out the whole story. Or, they are unhappy with the way something was reported in the paper. So I geared up for a confrontational conversation.
Instead, the fellow who identified himself as an “interested reader” said he wanted to talk to me about my Silly but Simple column. I was stunned—what was there to say about the silly column?
He went on to say he had no solution for the goofy new laundry jugs. But he said, he had a tip to handle the sticky laundry cup/cap problem. Just toss the cap in the washing machine with the dirty clothes. It comes out all nice and clean with your clothes!
What a relief. It wasn’t a cranky caller at all, it was someone with a helpful tip for a silly problem. Thank you “interested reader,” you made my day!
It’s okay to be absurd,
ridiculous, and downright
irrational at times; silliness
is sweet syrup that helps us
swallow the bitter pills of life.
Richelle E. Goodrich
Leave a Reply