The Cable Conspiracy

Whose Wire is it Anyway?

We all have one. Tucked away, hidden from curious eyes: the box of emergency cables.

 

Where did they come from? Nobody knows.

What do they go to? Nobody knows that either.

 

And yet, we hold on to them like talismans. In case of emergency, break open the cable box. If a device stops working, surely salvation lies within.

 

Except… it doesn’t.

At least not for me.

 

 

I never have the one I actually need. But I remain convinced that this particular cable goes to the camcorder (circa 1995). Of course, I no longer own the camcorder. But what if it slips back through a tear in the space-time continuum? Won’t I feel smug having kept the power cord?

 

 

Then there’s the forest of monitor cables (despite already having all the ones I’ll ever need). And a laptop charger so old it probably powered dinosaurs.

 

So why can’t I just let them go? Fear. That little whisper of What if I need it?

 

The truth? That same fear creeps into all kinds of corners. It’s not just cables—it’s jeans I’ll “totally fit into again,” the crusty half-used bottle of Leather Cleaner that’s been under the sink since 2007, and—if we’re really going there—grudges, dodgy beliefs, and other mental clutter we cart around like it’s doing us a favour.

 

A while back, I steeled myself and dove into the cable stash. If it wasn’t identifiable and necessary, it went in the donation pile. Do you know what I found at the thrift store later? An entire aisle dedicated to mystery cables. I am clearly not alone.

 

Here’s the kicker: one of the cables I tossed actually turned out to be important. Did the earth stop spinning? Was my life ruined? Nope. I went to the thrift store and bought another. Worst case? eBay has obscure, obsolete cables for tuppence. Crisis averted.

 

Lesson learned: it’s OK to let things go. If you really, truly need it later, you can usually get another. (We’re not talking Ming vases here—just random bits of flotsam bobbing around the house.)

 

So go on. Crack open that cable box. Let a few go. The thrift store’s waiting.