The Shredder

A few weeks ago, the paper shredder I've had for years stopped working. Well, that's not entirely true. It would work just fine in reverse, but when I fed it paper to shred it didn't respond at all. I cleared the paper out as best as I could, but when I switched it on, it remained unresponsive.

Since it still ran in reverse, Man of the House suggested turning it upside down. That, unsurprisingly, didn't work at all. I had had the shredder for 15 years, so it was probably time for a new one. I set the shredder aside and started the search for its replacement.

I began working toward one of my 2020 goals a few months early. For the next year (and perhaps permanently going forward) I will be making most of my purchases on the secondary market. With the exception of a few things such as underwear and shoes, I will search for what I need at thrift stores, garage sales and on-line second hand venues.

So I made the rounds of my favorite local thrift stores. I found a few options, but for some reason I couldn't bring myself to buy any of them. I went home to take a final look at my shredder.

With a fine gauge crochet hook I fished out bits of paper from the teeth of the shredder. Some of them were jammed in tightly and it took some effort to fish them loose. I would occasionally run the shredder, but it still didn't start.

Finally, I got one last bit of paper out and when I flipped the switch the shredder roared back to life. I fed it papers and it chewed through them as always. I was back in business.

This experience makes me more interested in learning how to repair and maintain the appliances I have. Yes, I could have picked up a good shredder at the thrift store, but it is even better to not make the purchase at all. One day the shredder will be dead for good, but the longer I can keep it out of the landfill, the better.