Desert Packrat by SearchNetMedia via Flickr
Reality shows like The Biggest Loser, Intervention and Hoarders are popular for a reason. Seeing someone at the extremes of behavior makes us feel better about our own shortcomings.
My great-grandfather was a severe packrat. He would go to the local dump every day looking for treasures, and his house was covered up inside and outside with his finds. He never threw anything away and dressed like a homeless man when he had plenty of money to buy new clothes. He just didn’t see the need.
This disorder spread throughout my family in varying degrees, including me. Had you known me 10+ years ago, you would have seen a garage filled with junk, one completely filled junk room, and closets that were bursting at the seams.
You would have also met one unhappy woman.
Just like overeating and abusing alcohol, latching onto everything that comes your way is a sign of a problem. As my life has improved, so has my tendency to hang on to things. And now when I look back, I can’t believe I ever had so much crap.
To this day, though, I am fascinated by shows like Hoarders and Clean House and think a lunch date with Niecy Nash would be fantastic. Watching those shows also reminds me how easy it would be for me to slip back into my old ways.
That is why it is so important for me to create a life that doesn’t easily allow clutter:
- A smaller home means less space to accumulate junk
- Walking or taking the bus to shop means lugging fewer things home
- Entertaining frequently is an incentive to keep my home clutter-free
- Being open to moving every couple of years is a great way to clear boxed clutter
- Marrying a man who despises disorder has a way of curtailing chaos
It seems weird to say that I’m a packrat when I’m getting rid of everything I own, but it is true. Given the right circumstances, I know how easily I could lapse back into it.
I don’t want to say that I’m traveling around the world to escape the lure of clutter, but in one sense it might be true.
What do you think of those reality shows? Do any of them hit home for you?
Related Reading:
Sentimental Value is Assigned by You
About Betsy
Growing up as a farm girl my family was green before green was green. It’s not like we had trash service. My aunts and uncles all have the clutter issue. I have struggled with it myself but usually keep it to one room. I’m still trying to get rid of that. I love hoarders because I get to watch it and then feel motivated to get rid of some things. We have gotten rid of about 50% of our stuff in the past two years however since we have so much stuff to begin with there is still so much to get rid of. I’m inspired by what you are doing. I would love to do cut loose and travel like that. We get in about two to three weeks a year.
Junebug, what a big accomplishment! 50% is a lot, especially when you don’t have the motivation of an upcoming trip. I really admire your persistence.
The best tip I can give for decluttering is to stop bringing things into the house. No matter how hard you work to declutter, if you keep bringing non-food items into your house you will never make the kind of progress you want. This was the single biggest “aha” for me – especially in the area of books and clothes.