I am reading the book Stuff, Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things by Randy Frost and Gail Steketee. It's a fascinating and sympathetic book about hoarders, who are often intelligent, kind and lovely people who attach a depth of meaning to their possessions that means they can't let go of them. Cleaning the house today, I am noticing some of those same points in my own thinking.
"I can use this someday." Yes, but I haven't yet so I probably wont.
"I know someone who would love this, so I'll hang on to it until I see them." Except I never remember to take it to them.
"I haven't finished reading that book yet." I started it two years ago.
"There's still some life in this old thing." A minuscule bit, perhaps.
"I could sell this and get some money for it." If I took the time to do it, yes, but I never do.
"I promised that I'd hang on to this." Emotional blackmail isn't an excuse for keeping things.
"It's wasteful to throw out things that are not broken or used up." Yes, but the cost of keeping them is high, too.
"This reminds me of a certain time/event/person." Sentimental objects are hard but I attach sentiment to many things.
"I don't really like this, but it's almost new." But I don't like it and I won't use it.
"This was a gift from someone I love." Discarding the object does not lessen my feeling for the giver.
These observations are written about things within my eyeline as I type so I am sure there are other issues behind me and in other rooms.
Today I am trying to imagine what I'd take with me if I moved into a tiny house. What do I need if I live on the road? I know it isn't much. I'll keep that stuff. Everything else is under consideration for removal from my life. Garage sale time...I wish we did those here.
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