Today I finally took back control of the kitchen. It was previously ruled by grocery store paper bags that had infested the cabinet beneath the sink. I felt powerless to their passive aggressive stare. They began plotting to take over the floor too. They made progress – the cabinet door could never quite close. Their strategy was quiet, stealthy rebellion. They had convinced me of their utility and finally they had conquered the floor as well. Two to five of them occupied the floor at all times. Standing guard, making sure I knew of their presence. The place was overrun. 

Today I took a stand and took out all the paper bags and laid them on the floor. I put the unripped ones back in the cabinet. I closed the cabinet door all the way. The cabinet sighed. Finally. Some peace and quiet. I gathered up all the defeated discards and marched down to the recycling room. Triumphantly, I pressed their crumpled edges into the bin and shut the lid. The lid would not quite close. But that couldn’t bother me anymore. I had won the war.