Out of Chaos an organizing newsletter
Magpie
“one who collects indiscriminately”
Turns out that magpies (part of the crow family) have been unfairly maligned. It is a myth that they are hoarders who are attracted to shiny things. Still, the word is in our lexicon, and it is evocative. In fact, research has found that magpies aren’t any more attracted to shiny objects than non-shiny ones, and when a crow or a magpie grabs things, it is to build their nest, not because they are superficial or hoarding. Although these birds are more pragmatic than they seem, we still think of them as flitting and fluttering and feathering their nests, and that is a very apt description of how many of my clients make their acquisitions-at least of the stuff that turns into clutter.
When we buy a home or a car, we don’t flit or flutter. We look at spreadsheets, we do research, we consult experts. But when we shop for clothes or household goods we are much more impulsive. Often, we buy things that we don’t need at all, and just as often we are likely to be swayed by a little bit of flash, whether it’s the actual sparkle of a sequined iPhone cover or the subtle lure of a well-displayed tchotchke. If we are honest, most of our “nests” are already overfeathered, but we have some primal instinct to acquire. Kenneth Cole once said, “There isn’t one woman in America who needs another pair of black shoes, it is my job to make them want it.” Precisely.
And it is my job, Kenneth, to reveal the wizard behind the curtain, so that we don’t fall for it. Before I was born, my mother worked in advertising. When we were growing up, she was always telling my sister and me how the cakes in the commercials were covered in wax to make them shine and the camera was angled to make the toys look better than they really were.
I can’t say that I didn’t want the Barbie Styling Head, but in retrospect I am so grateful that she taught me from childhood to be a critical consumer. So remember, when you pause to look at that adorable something-or-other in a gift shop, that just because it is shiny or cute or well displayed doesn’t mean that you need to take it home to your nest.