Mind Like a Rolodex^®

Remember the venerable Rolodex card file? It was such a wonderful little innovation for the office. Instead of index cards being packed into a drawer, they were on a wheel which could be turned to quickly get the needed information. Once you got to the right place, you could see the whole card at one glance (unlike older card files) or you could pull the card completely out.

I don't see too many rolodexes any more. I'm sure they're victims of office computerization. One little database can hold much more information than a huge Rolodex. Still, I'm sad to see them go, because my grown kids tell me that I have a mind like a Rolodex. Mention almost any topic, and my brain starts to churn. Before long, I'll come up with a joke, an anecdote, a memory, or a bit of trivia that fits the topic. My kids can even tell when the Rolodex is at work. Caren notices that I grow silent and I have a faraway look in my eyes. She pokes Alan, who makes the "thd-thd-thd" sound of cards flipping past on the wheel. When they see the twinkle in my eye that shows I've thought of something, they say, "Ding!" and sure enough, there's the joke or story.

Some ministers keep a file of sermon illustrations. I've never had one; I have my Rolodex. Not that it's a complete blessing. My Rolodex contains appropriate as well as inappropriate material. It has some funny stuff and a lot of corn. And sometimes, the topic that triggered the Rolodex search triggers another topic, which reminds me of another one, so that what eventually pops up has little or no relation to the subject at hand. Nor does the Rolodex work well on command. If someone says, "tell me a story about puppies," the Rolodex freezes in place and refuses to spit out anything puppy related until, say, 2 a.m. the following morning when I'm supposed to be asleep.

But for better or for worse, my Rolodex is a part of who I am. However, it is causing me to question my proper place in the world of blogging. When I read other people's blogs, the Rolodex is in fine form; I find myself wanting to comment on just about every post I read. But when I realize I haven't posted anything on my own blog in a while, Rolodex freeze sets in and my mind goes blank. I'm still weighing this one out, but maybe my purpose would be better served not by operating a blog, but by wandering about from blog to blog, dropping cards from the Rolodex as I go. Kind of a Johnny Appleseed of the blogosphere, if you will.