Top Comments: The Way Closed

I’m writing this as a break from cleaning out my attic. I don’t mean tidying. I mean full-on pull everything out, open boxes, make decisions about what to keep and what to discard, much like what’s happening in voting booths across the nation. (No, this is not a candidate diary, I'm preparing for a move!)

As I’ve aged, I’ve become much more ruthless about what I carry with me. My criteria: an object must be useful, beautiful or have sentimental value in order for it to justify the space it takes up. Most days that’s a workable system and I’m good about throwing things into boxes for the local thrift shop.

And yet...

I came across an old, much-traveled box that had been used by the study abroad office of my university (I was a student and had to beg boxes for my move, lo those many years ago). On the outside, it was labeled "Paris/London." I crossed out those words, relabeled the box with its current contents and hummed a bit of that old Marianne Faithfull tune, "The Ballad of Lucy Jordan":

"At the age of thirty-seven she realized she’d never
Ride through Paris in a sports car with the warm wind in her hair."

I’ve given up my vagabond ways and any good times I may have, theoretically, you understand, may have had in my 20s are only sweet memories. I’ve put them away in a box in my heart, even though I may take them out to look at occasionally. The realities of everyday life – marriage, parenthood, partnership – act as a sort of packing tape on that box. It might be the opposite of a mid-life crisis, this realization that some things have gone from me, and that’s all right. A good Quaker might say that I’ve understood that the way is closed.

So: Here’s the bag for the thrift shop. Here’s the garbage bag. And here is a pile of boxes that represents what I’ve chosen to take with me on my next adventure, which will certainly hold new things to learn and do.

Among the things I am taking with me are my how-to books, whether it’s a skill I’ve mastered or one I have yet to learn (and yes, one day I will spin my own yarn). I can’t give up the hope that I will discover how to do new things, so those boxes have been set aside for last-packed, first unpacked, while my box of treasured and sentimental objects is marked for deep storage. That tells me a lot about where I am.

What are the things that have accompanied you through moves and changes? What have you left behind, whether with joy or regret? When did a way close, and what happened after that? Bonus question: Will these damned boxes ever be packed?

Here’s to choices we can live with.

And now on to tonight's top comments:

OrangeClouds115 sends this gem from howd. from her diary, "I'm In Dallas. Conservatives are Voting in the Dem Primary."

Terrypinder sends in this thread – and I quote – because "no day is complete without a thread about eating babies." Funny, I always thought that pols kissed the little sweeties. It’s from Junglered1’s diary, "What Dirt Will John Avravosis Throw at Hillary Tomorrow?"

Earcicle notes that "many blameless European peoples are slandered in this pun-tastic thread in Kos' Exit Poll diary. Much needed levity on a stressful evening!"

From kath25: "Greetings from the field. I really liked this comment by mk, a Kossack who it turns out I knew in ‘real life,’ who ‘outed’ me from my Austin Obama office live-blog." It appears in slinkerwink’s "OPEN THREAD II: I VOTED! OH-TX-RI-VT."

From PerfectStormer: "I know TC is usually a primary-free zone, but Supercontext's response to KarlRove72HourGenius's comment made me LOL." It’s in "Results Thread #2."

Lamzdote says: "Hey BB gave us some excellent advice this morning." It appears in teeb’s "C&J for Tuesday."

My picks:

I enjoyed this nerdly exchange that flowed from Tracker’s comment, especially the one-upsmanship over where one’s dice are kept. It’s from Carnacki’s diary, "Gary Gygax, Father of D&D, Dead."

Terrypinder, BEHAVE! I won’t be able to keep up with your primary coverage drinking game – please, hon, take it easy on your liver! Terrypinder’s rules for tonight’s media fest can be found in Tetris’ "March 4th Drinking Game."

Voteharder thinks that Markos is a groundhog. It’s from MaxKelly’s diary "Kos Prediction Stats."

Top Comments wouldn't be the same without Top Mojo, courtesy of BeninSC:

Top Mojo - excluding search-identifiable tip jars and first diary comments (top 30 of each plus ties):

1 I do this kind of "doctoring" all the time... by Dood Abides - 126
2 And hope it's not significant----but Indiana by dotster - 112
3 There's really no doubt it was doctored by Troutnut - 108
4 I prayed last night for this to end by meatwad420 - 96
5 They hate us for our peedom :) by cskendrick - 88
6 Me too by BlackBox - 88
7 Nope by o the umanity - 87
8 Give me the math, then. by wmtriallawyer - 82
9 Oh say this again.  And again. by sheddhead - 81
10 I predict by peregrina - 81
11 I just got an e-mail from my aunt by Czar Chasm - 80
12 The Terminator Is Back with a new plan by FishOutofWater - 79
13 Fucking Dallas by aimeeinkc - 78
14 You are absolutely correct by TocqueDeville - 78
15 hooray for a first-time diarist! by thereisnospoon - 75
16 Wow, by JoeW - 74
17 confirmed by bluestatemeant - 72
18 As Long As This Stays Within The Margin Of Theft by IndianaDemocrat - 72
19 Just voted! by ayawisgi - 71
20 We spent by melthewriter - 67
21 Here is an undoctored picture by LondonYank - 66
22 Disgusting! I've had it with the Clintons. by Robert Davies - 62
23 OMG he talks like that other NEGRO. by Geekesque - 62
24 With poll? by Fabian - 60
25 That brought tears to my eyes by yellowdog - 60
26 Please Please Rec this diary by donnamarie - 59
27 Yeah, that's crap. by johnsonwax - 58
28 Bingo! by psycho liberal - 58
29 No one's calling by zonk - 57
30 Should make filing their reports by Pangloss - 57

Top Mojo - everything included:

1 Tip Jar by Oreo - 446
2 tips and don't forget to vote & Recommend by DrSteveB - 398
3 This was Sen. Clinton's last shot. by wmtriallawyer - 372
4 Tips for a better future. by xxdr zombiexx - 315
5 tips by Devsd - 312
6 tips for election integrity! by anna - 264
7 Tips for the real reality-based community by JedReport - 225
8 Please recommend for shared experiences by dansac - 191
9 tip jar! by slinkerwink - 186
10 For those who want to help... by dengre - 185
11 But Reagan isn't on the Nov. ballot by texasmom - 168
12 Grotesque! by jhooversnyder - 145
13 I do this kind of "doctoring" all the time... by Dood Abides - 126
14 tip jar by poblano - 121
15 And hope it's not significant----but Indiana by dotster - 112
16 Have at it by FleetAdmiralJ - 112
17 There's really no doubt it was doctored by Troutnut - 108
18 Tip jar. by DemocraticLuntz - 105
19 now this needs to make it into the morning press by slinkerwink - 104
20 Tips for patriotic Texans :) by OrangeClouds115 - 101
21 This diary... by RichM - 99
22 Not quite by firenze - 97
23 I prayed last night for this to end by meatwad420 - 96
24 Oh Please. How can anyone  defend this by Ianb007 - 92
25 They hate us for our peedom :) by cskendrick - 88
26 Me too by BlackBox - 88
27 Nope by o the umanity - 87
28 Maddow has always had integrity by droogie6655321 - 83
29 Give me the math, then. by wmtriallawyer - 82
30 I predict by peregrina - 81
31 Oh say this again.  And again. by sheddhead - 81