The Noble Shirtfold Path

Well hello there,

I really thought I’d be better at updating this ol’ blog of mine. Sometimes projects just get started only to fall by the wayside, neglected and forlorn as a half knitted scarf. I had such high hopes for my ability to buckle down and post at least once a week, even if nothing particularly noteworthy had taken place. It would be enough to just hone my writing skills and keep my dear readers up to date on the minutiae of my existence. Alas, once a month seems to be about the best I can do these days. Perhaps “more frequent blog posting” will make the short list of resolutions for the dawning of the ’06.

On the other hand, some endeavors seem doomed from the start yet only gain momentum as time goes by. Such is the case with my shirts. You see I own a lot of clothing. I am a lass who enjoys the element of choice when it comes to getting dressed. The downside of this abundance in the fashion department is that I am often facing complicated storage dilemmas. I do actually have a closet, but that is crammed full of summer garments, old winter coats and vintage numbers I’ve outgrown but can’t bear to part with. I also have a rolling rack of dresses, jackets, suits, coats etc. that get worn more frequently. In addition, I have two dressers. The first has five drawers- two drawers full of trousers, slacks and/or pants, two drawers full of skirts and one full of socks and unmentionables. The second is where my shirts live. The first drawer is for sleeveless numbers including but not limited to tank tops, camisoles, halters and undershirts. The second is reserved for the short sleeved such as tee shirts and their brethren. Last but not least is the bottom drawer of the second dresser which contains- you guessed it- long sleeved shirts of both the button and pullover varieties. Now that you have an idea of what we’re dealing with, let me get to my point.

I once suffered from a great messiness that caused my precious clothing to lay on the floor in crumpled heaps, wrinkling and getting trampled underfoot. As time went by, I eventually kicked this habit slowly but surely, eventually learning to hang up my dresses and fold my pants. I became quite a master of the tidy wardrobe except for my one Achilles heel- my shirts. Yes, I would get them all into their proper drawers but, oh shame of shames, I NEVER FOLDED THEM. I confess this to you now that, for many years, I just crammed my shirts into my drawers. There would often be a stray sleeve dangling from the drawer and sometimes, right after I’d done a large load of laundry, I wouldn’t be able to get the drawers shut all the way. It was a disgrace.

Yet, fear not for the state of my shirts because I have turned over a new leaf of housekeeping. Over a week ago I folded every single shirt I own and put them back into their proper drawers. Since that time every shirt has remained folded. I have great hope for the future and expect that this is the start of a new age. I have no worry of resorting to my drawer-cramming ways now that I have seen the light and understand that it is actually easier to find specific shirts when they aren’t all in a big tangled mess. By the grace of God I hope to continue on the righteous path since if cleanliness is next to Godliness, putting away that which is clean in an orderly fashion must be like making dinner reservations in heaven at a table with John Denver and St. Francis of Assisi.

Amen