ponder this....

I discovered a very bizarre website yesterday. You can check it out here. It got me to thinking about many things: What leads someone to collect that much stuff? What do I feel the need to collect that I really don't need to? Where can I find that many Xerox boxes? How many valuable items does she have in that house that noone gets to enjoy? How did she ever afford all that stuff? I wonder where she lives? Could I make a career out of finding homes like that and sorting through their stuff for them? How would you even begin to sort through all of that?

About a month ago an elderly, well known man in Kelowna went missing. He was an eccentric sort, who would dress up for parades and such. Well, posters were put up, news bulletins were issued. Where was this man? People had 'tried' to look in his apartment but couldn't get in because of all the clutter. After a few weeks of him missing, the landlord began to notice a bad odor coming from his place. Well, sure enough, the police were sent in and followed the smell to his decomposing body lost in the mess in his home. Apparently he was a collector of 'stuff' and he had actually died in his 'stuff' and disappeared until the smell led people to find him in his 'stuff'.

This is probably about the place that Chris and Kevin would write some wonderful, deep theological thought....however, at this moment I am not thinking that deep...so....

The moral of both of these stories is:
Don't collect too much stuff!
And find a lot of Xerox boxes to pack up your stuff and GET RID OF IT!

Think I will go home and start digging through some closets! Watch out family! hee hee

Comments

Unknown said…
I better call a moving truck! See you at home buried neck deep in all our junk! (i mean stuff!)
Shuana said…
Some articles from internet on hoarding:

Collecting Objects a Warning Sign for Diogenes Syndrome.
http://www.americangeriatrics.org/news/collecting.shtml
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2459/is_n5_v24/ai_17438718

WHY PEOPLE HOARD:
Sentimental Value. - Decision Making. - Organizing. - Responsibility.
Control/Perfection. - Scared to Forget/Perfectionism. - Letting go of Things.


Simplified: Hoarding is about the fear of throwing something away that you might need someday, of not being able to remember it perfectly or that if thrown away it will cause a problem or that something bad may happen.

How often do you hear people say: "Typical, just after I finally threw that item away, I found a use for it or needed it a few days later."
But rarely do they end up living in a house where small paths have to be created to be able to walk around.

http://understanding_ocd.tripod.com/hoarding1_why.html
Cheryl said…
I got a blog on my blog! hee hee! Thanks Shuana! Did you happen to see the Oprah show on hoarding? It was very informative. Gives a whole new perspective on people who hoard. At least the person on the website I referred to appeared to actually be 'clean'. The one on Oprah was disgustingly filthy! eww!
Shuana said…
Sorry, I tend to be verbose. Yeah, I did see the Oprah show on hoarding. I doesn't really help people to clean it up for them, they need to learn to overcome the problem or fear by doing it themselves.
Shuana said…
OH YAH, on the subject of collecting their is a book called "On Longing." I haven't read it yet but intend to. It's about collections, and people's desire to make objects into memorials etc. Also, how museums and collections change the meaning of the object. Interesting stuff, but I don't have time to read it yet.
Cheryl said…
Yah, I thought that about the lady on the Oprah show too. They did all that work to help her clean up her house, but if she didn't get personal help, she was just going to go back to that lifestyle anyway. It is a much deeper problem.
I will have to check out those websites you mentioned tomorrow when I have spare time at work!
Anonymous said…
feel free to throw out kevin's stuff... he told me he doesn't want it anymore...
Unknown said…
what stuff, i dont have any room for any stuff among the piles of female stuff filling the whole house and stuff.
stuff like this makes me all stuffed up
Cheryl said…
oh don't be so stuffy Kevin!
Anonymous said…
That lady on the Oprah show came back later. She was hoarding the "clean" that they did for her, eating out all the time, etcetera.

They brought in somebody to help her clean up -- I think this will be more effective.
Cheryl said…
that's good. i never did hear the end of the story....