You know that scene in Home Alone when the kid has booby-trapped the entire house to prevent the criminals from entering? Yeah, that’s what my bedroom looks like on an average day. I’m pretty sure years went by before I saw the entirety of my floor (I definitely did not remember the carpet being that color). I am the queen of throwing clothes over shoulders while searching for an outfit. I am the master of unmade beds. I am a connoisseur of all things chaotic. I am just a messy person.

I’m not sure when it all started; my mother claims I was just born this way because it certainly was not taught to me. Some of our greatest arguments involved unclosed drawers, mismatched socks, and closet doors that hung crooked beneath the weight of discarded clothes. I swear I sleep better in beds that are unmade (why would you make it if you are just going to get back in it??). There is something about a mess that makes me feel at home.

Do I misplace things? Constantly. But you know it’s the little things like humming the hairbrush song from Veggie Tales as I search for the brush I have not used in days that make life an adventure. Honestly, I would have way too much time on my hands if I never had to look for things. What do organized people even do in the morning? How boring it must be to know exactly where everything is, to just reach into perfectly neat drawers and select clothes, to just gather their things from designated areas; it sounds like pure madness to me.

Most people believe messiness is a bad quality, but I say it isn’t so. For example, you will never have to apologize to me for the condition of your home. The more it looks as if a natural disaster has occurred, the more comfortable I am going to feel. I am also very good at not freaking out when things are out of order. So you lost something I let you borrow? Totally fine. I probably would have lost it as soon as you gave it back to me anyway. The washing machine ate one of my socks? Not a problem, I lost the match to it months ago. Being messy has also consequently made me a very chill person.

I realize not everyone abides by the same rules of Hakkuna Matata, and I do try to be respectful of their way of life. I try to keep my mess contained to my side of the dorm room. If I know people are going to be riding in my car, I make sure all food products have been properly disposed of and all clothes are tucked under the seats. I at least attempt to be courteous of others in my hurricane-esque state of being. However, I think a little mess now and then would do the world a bit of good.

“At a certain point, you have to kind of realize that greatness is a messy thing.”

James Gray