Just Trash Your Junk

Perhaps you are one of those amazingly organized people who takes care of everything right  away: your bank account balances, your photos are dated, your house is spotless. If that is you, let me say that I am greatly impressed, especially if you manage to be creative as well.

The rest of us do not manage quite so well. Today, I designed a database in Filemaker Pro called Carol’s images. I am going through my thousands of images, placing a thumbnail in a labeled container (including the photo number my camera provides) and naming the file where the original is housed, in an extra drive purchased for that purpose (it holds a terabyte). At least I don’t have to drive anywhere to store my excess. I hope that didn’t sound judgmental; grateful would be the operative emotion. Anyone who knows me would laugh themselves silly if I became judgmental about how other people handle their junk.

Every image is getting a date, tags, and any other notes that come to mind. I have found myself, lately, in the nonsensical position of knowing that I have a certain image somewhere, but not being able to put my mouse paws on it.

Creating the Filemaker Pro database used up a fair chunk of time. Then I began my mop-up campaign. A few folders hit the trash, but not nearly as many as I hoped. I assure myself that this exercise will get me in touch with my many images, provide me with a sense of what I have (my themes, my interests), and guarantee easy access forever after. I am also attempting to cull mediocre images as I go. That may be a mistake, because it can be ridiculously hard to just trash your junk. I refuse to investigate why that is so. It is quicksand that would engulf me.

Wish me luck. Better yet, have mercy and send me your best organizational tips. I aspire to be one of those highly organized people I mentioned, at least as far as my photo images are concerned, imminently. It shouldn’t take more than a week month year lifetime.

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