The challenge

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

What separates us...

I feel for the hoarders. Being surrounded all day long by so much STUFF sucks. Having such a mess makes a person feel like they don't know where to start or if they even want to. I feel like that myself sometimes and I don't even have a tenth of what these people have. I've been in that place where I am too tired to care, and have such large messes that I don't know where to start. It can sometimes take hours to clean something that should take 15 minutes, because I think about it so much...

It's nice to leave sometimes to get out into the cleaner public and so something I enjoy. I think for the hoarding lot, getting out of the chaos of their homes and going out into the world and "getting a deal" feels really good. I have no doubt about this.

It just breaks my heart though, to see these hoarders cry out for help, have help come and then watch them turn it down. Crews are standing by and only get through portions of what needed to be done. They simply can't let go of the stuff-- even if it means damages to their relationships. This is the saddest thing to me. All of their things are so important to them that really nothing is. (When everyone's special, no one is...) Less would seriously be more.

So, aside from the fact that I have less stuff than the hoarders, I'd like to think I am not quite the same as them in some other ways.

Because if garbage trucks and teams came to help me get the crap out of my house, I would be tossing left and right and screaming hallelujah. Because I can't do it alone. And my stuff is a burden. Most stuff is-- even stuff you like and use you still need to store and care for and... look at. I think I would have to help go through stuff to a certain extent, because even in my disorganization, I know where a lot of my things are and I hate being disoriented. But really, I would so much rather start from a clean slate than have to go through this crap myself. If crews came tomorrow and took everything away, I would have some stress, but relief would be the greatest feeling of all.

Of course, this is all theoretical.

It really is overwhelming.

And I have relatively less stuff than the Television Hoarders. Though you should see my garage right now....


2 comments:

  1. Um, so with you except I can totally relate to the hoarders. The more I watch the show, the more convinced that I'm there. I think the biggest part of the equasion is getting the mental help needed. Cleaning teams can clean but not prevent the problem from happening again. Trouble is, how do you fix a broken brain. I hope I find out.
    Just found you new blog. Hope you don't mind if I pop in often.

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  2. So glad you found me Fawn!

    I agree, most of the TV Hoarders need mental help more than they need a cleaning crew.

    You can do it.

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