There is talk of change in the household. Talk of painting the kitchen, talk of offices becoming bedrooms, and vice versa, talk of any number of things, many of which will never come to pass. (But the talking is half the fun.)
I was asked, “What do you actually need in your office?” Before I could even consider an answer, the boy replied on my behalf:
“She needs a place to store her notebooks and lots of shelves for her books.”
Given time to think about it, I’d probably have been practical and said, “All I really need is a laptop and a phone”. And, practically speaking, that’s true. These days, most of us can work anywhere.
But, as usual, the boy was right. I can’t think without a pen in my hand and my notebooks are precious to me. So are my many books (on subjects as diverse as fundraising, archaeology, knitting and prehistoric cooking). I’d be unsettled without them, and if I were unsettled I wouldn’t be able to focus as well on my work. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
Apart from its practical purpose, my office is my personal space. It’s the one place in the house that’s just for me. (Except when we have guests, and it reverts to being just the spare bedroom again.) I need it to focus on my work, but I also need it for myself. And that means that the notebooks, the books and the many different coloured pens are staying.
What do you need in your office?
Live and work at home 