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I'm totally fascinated by hoarding. There are several TV shows about it that I've seen recently. TV's latest "it" problem. On the one hand, I understand the need for having your own treasures that you cannot ever get rid of. And I have plenty of treasures. But then there are the people who constantly collect things, put them on top of other things till their home becomes a trash pile, never use any of it, ever, and cannot get rid of even one single tiny item because they "might need it someday".
My grandma had some hoarding tendencies. You actually see it a lot in people who lived through the Depression. Everything had to be used to the fullest, nothing could be wasted. Grandma didn't drive, wasn't very independent or mobile for the last 25 years of her life. So she wasn't a collector of new things, her home was not a pit. But it was nearly impossible for her to let go of something old, especially reading materials. She wanted to read every word of every newspaper that came through the slot, but never did. She also believed everything she had was worth a fortune, and she'd sell it all in a huge garage sale she was going to have "someday". Someday finally happened after she moved into a nursing home, and believe me, there was no fortune in her stuff. Only memories for us, and bargains for the neighbors. I would love to have gotten some of her furniture, but at the time, I was living in California, and had no place for it. I did take some dishes, and a few other special things. And now they are my treasures that I can never get rid of.
The difference between me and a hoarder, is that while I have plenty of things I want to keep forever, I know where all these things are, and I can access them easily.
When I watch these shows about hoarders, for a moment I think maybe I'd be a good professional organizer, someone who helps people get rid of stuff, and organize what they keep. But I think I'd be too hard and uncompromising. One recent episode had a lady with a kitchen filled to the rafters with crap, the table couldn't even be found under the mess, and no food could possibly be prepared there. She had a huge stash of big empty jars all around. The professional organizer who was helping asked why. The lady said, well, I want to be able to make soup, and put it in jars and give it to people. Helper lady says, have you ever made soup? The answer was no. Do you think you'll ever make soup? Probably not, she says. So why can't you get rid of some of these jars? The lady just couldn't bring herself to do so. If I was the organizer lady, I'd be all "FOR FUCK'S SAKE WOMAN, GIVE UP THE SOUP DREAMS AND LET'S GET A BACKHOE IN HERE!!!!"
So yeah, I've been thinking about stuff and treasure lately. Why I have what I have, and keep what I keep. I've decided to take pictures of and tell stories about my favorite things. Old and new. Silly and serious. The first item shall be ( This )
I took a bunch of pictures this afternoon, and I've made a new gallery that I'll add to in coming days. I went to the storage locker to get one of my most prized posessions of all, and we have to figure out how to turn a tiny, 40-year old photographic slide into a postable picture.
My grandma had some hoarding tendencies. You actually see it a lot in people who lived through the Depression. Everything had to be used to the fullest, nothing could be wasted. Grandma didn't drive, wasn't very independent or mobile for the last 25 years of her life. So she wasn't a collector of new things, her home was not a pit. But it was nearly impossible for her to let go of something old, especially reading materials. She wanted to read every word of every newspaper that came through the slot, but never did. She also believed everything she had was worth a fortune, and she'd sell it all in a huge garage sale she was going to have "someday". Someday finally happened after she moved into a nursing home, and believe me, there was no fortune in her stuff. Only memories for us, and bargains for the neighbors. I would love to have gotten some of her furniture, but at the time, I was living in California, and had no place for it. I did take some dishes, and a few other special things. And now they are my treasures that I can never get rid of.
The difference between me and a hoarder, is that while I have plenty of things I want to keep forever, I know where all these things are, and I can access them easily.
When I watch these shows about hoarders, for a moment I think maybe I'd be a good professional organizer, someone who helps people get rid of stuff, and organize what they keep. But I think I'd be too hard and uncompromising. One recent episode had a lady with a kitchen filled to the rafters with crap, the table couldn't even be found under the mess, and no food could possibly be prepared there. She had a huge stash of big empty jars all around. The professional organizer who was helping asked why. The lady said, well, I want to be able to make soup, and put it in jars and give it to people. Helper lady says, have you ever made soup? The answer was no. Do you think you'll ever make soup? Probably not, she says. So why can't you get rid of some of these jars? The lady just couldn't bring herself to do so. If I was the organizer lady, I'd be all "FOR FUCK'S SAKE WOMAN, GIVE UP THE SOUP DREAMS AND LET'S GET A BACKHOE IN HERE!!!!"
So yeah, I've been thinking about stuff and treasure lately. Why I have what I have, and keep what I keep. I've decided to take pictures of and tell stories about my favorite things. Old and new. Silly and serious. The first item shall be ( This )
I took a bunch of pictures this afternoon, and I've made a new gallery that I'll add to in coming days. I went to the storage locker to get one of my most prized posessions of all, and we have to figure out how to turn a tiny, 40-year old photographic slide into a postable picture.
