Why do I allow emails to accumulate in the inbox after reading? Most can be deleted or filed under appropriate categories, but why not do it on a regular basis? Guess I’ll chalk it up to how unorganized my life feels at the moment. So this morning I attempted to clear some of the clutter. I took over an hour to sort and dump around 700 messages (about half of what’s currently there). It was like taking a walk back in time, reexamining what has happened since right before Christmas. Amazingly (or not), I almost didn’t recognize a bunch of the conversations passing by. It offered me the opportunity to revisit all the great places I’ve eaten with my First Friday group and the Wednesday night beer gatherings. All the planning emails for Sitka, ArtFest & Kauai, info on new cameras & printers (none that I purchased), notes from close friends now living in other states, messages of hope for my mother, condolences for her death, after hours work at the Arts Center, and all the Ceramics Art Daily & Daniel Smith notices… oh and Robert Genn too!
Maybe I’ll tackle the remainder in a couple of days if I start feeling nostalgic!
So when was the last time you cleaned out your inbox?
🙂
Sticks, Stones, and Paper Stew Blog 
For me, the emails in the send box are my time machine. They served as a diary, which seems more permanent than my memory. Once in a great while I’ll look at old ones I wrote and marvel at the things I was doing at the time. It’s interesting, too, to try and recreate a mental state from the past, and then connect it to now.
Ahh, the sent items, an area I hardly ever visit! I might have to check those out one day. But it looks like world cup football USA vs England is on the ticket for now! Guess the farmers market will have to wait til next week.
I have a ton of emails in the in box. I’m trying to remember that most are like phone conversations and delete them. Trying…
Ohh, that’s a great way to think about it!