Throwing Stuff Away, or: my anti-Hoarders plan

I don’t really make New Year’s resolutions anymore, mostly because I try to always do the best that I can with myself during the year, and also because if I make resolutions or set huge goals it actually has a negative effect, because I am really hard on myself if they don’t end up turning out the way I planned.  I can give myself “suggestions,” though, and this year the “suggestion” is:  THROW AWAY HALF OF YOUR STUFF.

 I think this one came about from watching that show Hoarders over Christmas break.  Um….wow.  I have to say, I started watching that show thinking it was going to be some kind of quirky foray into people who, like, had a collection of 100,000 weird Mickey Mouse clocks or something like that.  But—noooo, that’s not what it going on in Hoarders at all.  In fact, there is barely any opportunity for prurient interest, as you spend most of the time watching it while hiding your face behind your hands, like “oh, oh NO—that’s just GARBAGE!  Why is there a GOAT EATING YOUR HOUSE?”  So, really this is not a quirky show at all—just a series of sad stories of mentally ill people who are living in filthy conditions and who need the kind of help that goes far beyond a mere housecleaning.  I don’t predict this show is going to take off, because unlike Intervention, there is no way to even “get on your high horse about how they should pull themselves together.”  Nope, they’re just nuts, and most of the houses would be better off burned to the ground because of the unfortunate and squalid conditions these poor people have let develop.   This photo, for instance, makes me want to throw out everything I own and wash myself in hand sanitizer.  How about you?

Back to my New Year’s “suggestion,” though.  Watching Hoarders made me realize that we just have way too much stuff, so I decided to go through absolutely everything and either use it, give it away, or trash it.  No mercy!   Let’s call this “Hoarders Insurance.”  So far it’s going well.  I have thrown out/ shredded a ton of old files, donated a bunch of books, and given some stuff away on Facebook.  Stay tuned for free stuff!

Comments

[Kimberly]

We're getting ready to move to London for at least a year, and in that process we are doing the same thing as you - pitch it, donate it, or keep it. We've been in our current home for 8 years and it is amazing how much stuff you can collect in that amount of time.

Today, is my day to clear out some of the unused stuff in my kitchen. May the force be with me...

[Shannon]

I think my New Year's "suggestion" to myself is to STOP WATCHING "HOARDERS". Because I have rarely if ever been more disturbed by anything in my entire life, no lie. Did you see the one about the cleaning crew unearthing A DEAD CAT from under the piles and piles of garbage in one woman's home? (I did not, but I saw the commercial for it, causing me to avoid that episode like the plague--ha! pun intended!--because I knew my mental stability could not tolerate such horror. As you know, I have had insomnia after watching this show.