think demux

Georges Perec had a magnificent beard. The sort of beard you’d write home about. And the man behind the beard had a fine collection of ideas.

One runs like this: living in an apartment where there is one room for each day of the week. In each room, you undertake the tasks or pastimes your routine tends to on that given day.

I’m writing on a Wednesday. What would you need in your Wednesday room? I’d be comfortable with an armchair, a desk and a record player.

But if I wanted to meet friends or involve other people, I’d run in to difficulty. If I needed the toilet would I piss out the window?

Perec’s magnificent mind takes us out of this particular tangle and into another idea: dispersion.

Instead you have places scattered across town for your different functions. It’s not routine-specific. You’d need some energy, a good pair of legs, and to be driven by the desire to do things rather than the habit that comes from doing them out of routine or necessity.

Which would you prefer?

You might find it says a lot about you. Right now I’m in my Wednesday room. But I’d happily be hopping across town.