Merging Lives
There's a lot more to this wedding stuff than planning a kick-ass party. We're merging our households, our finances, our lives. No longer will we be making decisions just for ourselves, but for the two of us as a couple. For the most part I am 110% confident in our ability to make this merge without issue. We fight well, our strengths and weaknesses complement each other well, and we are able to work things out to a common goal.
There is, however, one area in which I think this uniting of lives will very difficult to resolve. That is the merging of our CD collections.
Sweetie catalogs his CDs librarian style. Alphabetized last name first. Easy enough.
I used to catalog my CDs that way because I didn't know there were alternatives. Then I read High Fidelity by Nick Hornby and my life was opened to so many new options. Since that time I have alphabetized my collection by first name. It really makes it so much easier, because you no longer have to deal with questions such as these:
There is, however, one area in which I think this uniting of lives will very difficult to resolve. That is the merging of our CD collections.
Sweetie catalogs his CDs librarian style. Alphabetized last name first. Easy enough.
I used to catalog my CDs that way because I didn't know there were alternatives. Then I read High Fidelity by Nick Hornby and my life was opened to so many new options. Since that time I have alphabetized my collection by first name. It really makes it so much easier, because you no longer have to deal with questions such as these:
- Brian Setzer Orchestra, J. Geils Band. Do they go under the last name of the frontman, or is that considered a band name? What about Ben Folds Five?
- How do you alphabetize MC 900 Ft. Jesus?
- Adam and the Ants, Siouxsie and the Banshees?
- Franz Ferdinand? (The CD purchase that prompted this post)
Don't get me wrong, I'm capable of alphabetizing all my CDs according to the proper rules, I just don't want to have to think that hard when I'm running late in the morning and need some rocking tunes to get me going.
And don't go saying we should keep our CD collections separate. If we can't join our CD collections there's no hope for a joint checking account.
posted by Swankette at 9:07 PM
5 Comments:
OH, sammy!!!! Really, you can have a joint checking and separate cd collections. It's just fine. Realsupergirl and I have had that arrangement for years. It is right and good that some things remain just yours and some things remain just his. Not everything has to be merged.
My sis and her g.f. merge everything to excess, and it's creepy. They have one underwear drawer for the two of them. One sock drawer. I don't think they have thier own socks, I think they're all collective. They do have thier own underwear, but it's all jumbled up into one drawer. You don't want to be like that.
Now, I'm not saying that you shouldn't merge CD collections, but you really don't have to. It won't make any difference with the joint checking account. I know this first hand. They are apples and oranges. Get over it.
Love,
k.
Ever read Anne Fadiman's essay describing the merge of her books with those of her husband?
I haven't read that essay, need to check it out though.
The merging of the books I expect will be much easier. I have a cataloging system that exists only in my brain, and am flexible on rearranging stuff.
Here's an idea. How about we do the whole damn thing by date of release? Start back at Stardust, through Annette Funicello, through the Beatles and Paul Simon up to your '80s New Wave bands.
One benefit is that when we get a new CD, it goes right to the end of the shelf.
Mingling CDs is sexy. I can't wait to do it as a married couple.
Books for me:
For a while, they were classified as
1. Poetry, or
2. Everything else.
I'm experimenting with shelves on travel, baseball, and other non-fiction, leaving fiction and poetry sections. I'll have to see your books and see if further categorization is desirable.
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