There's a black hole inside my vehicle and I'm quite comfortable with it. Most people just see it as a mess, but I know it truly means possibilities.
Most women with children have a black hole somewhere in their lives. It might be a large purse; or a kitchen drawer. For me, it is the mess behind the further backseat in my minivan.
If I open the door and you happen to see it, you will likely pay no mind. It's rather non-descript. On the top layer there is a skateboard poster and a pair of roller skates. You might see a discarded kid's shirt or a soccer ball from a distance.
A closer look, however, reveals the true possibilities of what lies behind the back seat.
Need a bottle of water? I have it. Does your car need a jump? I have cables. Are you looking for a change of clothes for a small child or a can of cat food? It's there. A pack of nails and a hammer? There. The powder out of a box of macaroni and cheese? In the box on the right.
There is a blanket; an old mirror; some fast food meal toys still in the package; a couple of music CDs; some little cars; and a pair of sandals that have been there since before Christmas.
Yes, I could clean it out, but what's the fun in that. If all my stuff is gone, where will I go to look when I need that odd item that no one can find or should even own?
My kids are amazed at what I can pull out from behind the backseat. Keeping a certain amount of STUFF back there has saved me gas. I don't have to drive across town to get my daughter a shirt that fits or her beach shoes.
If you don't have one of these black holes in your life, I highly recommend you get one. This is how. First, don't plan it or try to bring a box out to put a few drinks or snacks for the kids with a change of clothes. Organization is no place for behind the seat. The assortment of unusual, but highly regarded items in the black hole grow there spontaneously. Or so it seems. Truth is, almost every item back there was carried by little hands that forgot all about them once they sat down in my van and found something else to play with.
When I'm carrying a camera bag, a purse, some groceries, my phone, my glasses and the keys, honestly, I don't care much about what I've left behind.
So to anyone who's been putting off cleaning that trunk or the junk from behind the seat, I say LEAVE IT…no guilt. It's a black hole of possibilities waiting to solve your next away-from-home crisis.
Nourish it.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Woman on the Edge: Black Hole in my van