BACKLOG: What clearing backlog means

It was the editor’s office but looked more like a store room. During a job interview, I looked around. I saw everywhere books, magazines, newspapers, manuscripts, papers, unopened mail. There were piles on chairs, stools, windowsill, over the bookshelves. The editor’s table itself was cluttered, with only a small working place in front of him, like a clearing in a jungle.
I saw that office in the same condition over the decades, while many editors came and went. I always wondered why none of them could spare some time to clear the mess. Now I know better.
When I shifted to a new house, I had to face all that newspapers, magazines, clippings, papers, etc. that had been hidden conveniently at various places in the previous residence. Now I placed them all on the floor of my home office so that I could no longer ignore them.
I started with the magazines for which I had not found time to read, putting aside special issues and taking out clippings from others for reading in the next round. In the meantime, the piles rose higher as new magazines and papers started accumulating. My paper mail, that has always been substantial, kept coming. I was hard pressed for time, while doing my full-time job. In desperation, I cut daily newspapers from three to just one and cancelled most magazine subscriptions. It saved some time. Still, the progress was very slow, as I lumbered on.
Gradually, the backlog was reduced to a single large pile. It came down, millimeter by millimeter. At last, I cleared the last clipping last week. It was a long hard battle, taking me as much as four-and-a-half years to win. It was great to feel liberated from the shackles of the backlog.
However, that is not the end of the story. Now I have to start reading the books in my personal library. I have already given away more books than most people buy in a life time. Still, there are several thousands. The packed shelves lure me. I do realize that, being at the fag end of life, I shall never be able to read them all in the remaining time, even if I read one book every day. Nevertheless, it will be fun while it lasts.