A satisfying apology

18 January 2010

Several years ago, a book called A Perfect Mess was published. I mentioned it on my blog right before it was published. In a nutshell, the book’s premise is that mess is good and that an obsession for order can be detrimental.

I did buy the book and skim it. I was immediately turned off by the fact that the authors mock professional organizers.

About the time the book came out, a columnist with the Boston Herald, Darren Garnick, who writes “The Working Stiff” column, passionately endorsed the book and went on to (as he describes it) “ruthlessly mock” Barry Izsak, who at the time was president of the National Association of Professional Organizers.

Fast forward three years. Last week, Garnick wrote a highly satisfying retraction and apology in which he acknowledges the “sinking, drowning feeling” of clutter, which was brought on when his employer relocated his office. He faced down his mess and realized all the less-than-useful items he’d been letting pile up.

“After more than a week of intense clutter therapy, I profusely apologize for my past insensitivity to the National Association of Professional Organizers. There is no such thing as a ‘Perfect Mess’,” he writes.

My only quibble with this column is that he says he would not consider hiring a professional organizer because he doesn’t want anyone touching or evaluating his stuff. I think if he chose to work with an organizer trained in working with chronically disorganized people, he’d find that all the decisions would be his own and that with the proper support, encouragement and advice, the whole process would be easier.

Bravo to Garnick for his revelation and for publicly admitting it!

Tagged with: anti anticlutter, clutter, napo