Almost as bad and scary as a junk drawer, or maybe worse...

   Several years ago I wrote a blog about 'junk drawers', places we have in our homes where we put stuff, things we don't use any more but also don't want to throw away for whatever reason. Often my reason for not throwing something away is very simple. Who knows when I may need an extra 'this' or a 'red or blue that'. And over the years, as in my case, the draw fills up and every once and a while, say 8-10 years, it's time to clean it out and start again.

   In recently had a 'junk drawer' experience, but with a bit of a twist. Actually it was a somewhat scary twist because I didn't know what I might find or in this case, what someone else might find.

   A few weeks ago I bought a new car. More correct, a newer car. It was in good condition, low mileage, a nice color and appeared to be well maintained. I usually don't buy brand new cars any more. The depreciation one suffers after driving out of the showroom can be a bear. I'll let someone else take the hit.

   To make a long story short, I didn't have the opportunity to clean out all the storage areas of the car I was trading in, so... one of the service people at the auto dealer said he would do it for me.

   Jokingly I said to him...”If you find that $100 bill I dropped under the seat, I'll split it with you.” He laughed. I laughed. And then... fear gripped my body. What would he find tuck away in all those little storage compartment, the glove box, the consoles between the seats, under the seats, in the trunk and oh yes, those catch all areas on each of the doors.   Did you know there are four of those? Lots of space.

   Now don't get me wrong. I usually try to keep my vehicles clean, both inside and out. You won't find coffee cups or soda cans rolling around the floor. I have one of those little trash containers on the floor to collect the Dunkin Donuts napkins and bags. But, like the 'junk drawer' at home, things sometimes will find their way into the console along with the extra CD’s or the glove box or stuffed in the corner of the trunk.

   But what was really scary in this case was that someone else was going to clean out the car, a car that contained “my stuff.” What would he think. Those items in the car, were they a reflection of the type of person I was, how neat or messy I was? Was there anything really important tucked away in the glove box or under the seat?

   (For those reading this who do not know what a glove box is, it's a storage compartment traditionally in the dashboard on the passenger side. I can actually remember my grandmother putting her gloves in the glove box before leaving the garage. She always carried a pair of white gloves with her. Yes. A different time and different generation.)

   Yesterday Chris finally called from the car dealership. He had finished cleaning out the car and I could come over to pick up the two boxes of items I had left in the car. Two boxes.? That much?

   Needless to say, I did not delay and rushed right over, if for no other reason than curiosity. What had he actually found?

   There was the car registration, the insurance card, the E Z Pass, a pretty significant number of CD's, 6 very stale granola bars, all kinds of chewing gum, several key chains, and several of those small packages of tissues, most opened and half used.

   There were probably a dozen or so pens and pencils, a couple dozen business cards, pads of paper, three travel blankets, the pet seat cover for the back seat for Lucky, two ice scrappers, and several umbrellas. I think you get the picture.

   There was about $4 dollars worth of change. But much to Chris' disappointment, no $100 dollar bill!

   There were no year old sandwiches or half eaten hamburgers, moldy cupcakes, beer cans, bloody shirts or weapon. Bloody shirts? Weapons? Yes. According to Chris, I might be surprised by what people leave in their trade-ins. Knives appear to the weapon of choice.

   As I began sorting through the boxes, for reassurance Chris told me the things in my car were pretty normal. Thank goodness. In this case, normal is OK with me.

   With two full boxes and a couple of blankets, should I have car trouble in the middle of winter, it was a good time to start fresh, so with the exception of the CD's, some of the chewing gum, a flash light, a few pens and the one umbrella that worked, the rest of the items got tossed in the trash can. How many half opened packages of Kleenex does one really need.

   But before I left the car dealership, Chris reminded me that in my new car there was additional storage space under the rear cargo area, just in case I needed some extra room.    He laughed. I said “thanks” and off I went to enjoy my new ride.

Now I am sure it was my imagination, but the car seemed lighter than the other one. But then again why wouldn't it. I had just cleaned out all the “junk drawers.”

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Addendum…..I wrote this several years ago. But full and far disclosure now. I recently just purchased a brand new car. Yes, a new car with less than 200 miles. I did not trade in an older car. I sold the old  one at the end of my driveway. The person that purchased it stopped by a day or two later with two bags, bags of things she had discovered in the car in the glove compartment and the the other storage areas.