#CleanWIP Articles

Mend

Earl Chinnici December 16, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Mend. [More info]

Photo courtesy of Erzetich Audio and Design

~ Earl Chinnici ~
Thanks for your interest in this magazine and the creative people who often join in the CleanWIP fun. I founded CleanWIP Magazine in 2019, but I’ve been in the business of repairing Windows-based computers for more than fifteen years now. I only started writing in any serious fashion in 2011 as I quit smoking Tobacco Cigarettes gradually. That’s what they call that product anyway; it was stamped across the front of nearly every pack. The reality of what’s in most cigarettes won’t easily fit on the label, but I’ll return to the point at hand. I eventually published a memoir about my journey to quit smoking and become an author and today I share from my debut book a short tidbit about mending my home.
~
I became obsessed with removing the “nicotine yellow” from my home. If there was a film of cigarette residue coating something that I could do without, and I was unable to wipe it clean or run it through the washing machine a few times, it was history. Off to the curb it went where it patiently waited for a prepaid ride to the county landfill. I even tossed a few things I could have easily wiped clean, simply because they were almond in color and that color reminded me all too well of the nicotine. To the extent possible, I wanted to repair the damage I had caused to the interior of my home and remove all of the signs of my severe addiction to cigarettes. I did not need these things to ensure I would never forget how horrific this addiction was for me. There were plenty of other handy reminders.