Photo by Dakota Duncan. This really is my desk.

Confessions of An Office Supply Addict

Anyone Up for a New Gel Pen?

I’m sitting in my office. Within my reach are two pairs of scissors. By standing up and taking a couple of steps, I can reach two more pairs. On my desk is a cup full of various colored thin Sharpies, plus a few other pens and pencils. My favorites of the week are lying on my desk within easy reach. Behind me, to my left, is a three-drawer plastic cabinet filled with notebooks, tape, staples, erasers, sticky notes and more. In front and to my right is a similar cabinet in metal. It contains notepads, scratch paper, magnets, tape, extra charging cords, flash drives, and thumbtacks. On two of the drawers I have hung the most adorable red mini-bins. One holds the zoom lens for my micro 4/3 camera; the other contains microfiber cloths. Far to my right, inside the closet, are two 6-drawer units filled with — you guessed it — office supplies.

If I had you at “office supplies,” read on kindred spirit! If not, you might not appreciate the place I am about to go.

I love office supplies. My wife loves office supplies. My kids love office supplies. Could it be hereditary, caused by inhaling fresh notebooks at a critical time during fetal development? The internet was of no help in answering this question, so I…