struggling against clutter
I have recently realized that I am a "hoarder". I was brought up this way, as m;y mother, and her father and mother, as well as many other members of the family are also (or were also) hoarders.
It's a new term. The terms I heard as a child were "pack-rat", and it was related to the great depression. I used to joke that my family is part Irish so we save everything and part German so we file it in triplicate.
Truth is, when you are brought up this way it is really hard to part with things. But this is what I've been doing. In 2006 I bought an old farmhouse with 1 1/2 acres of land in rural Maine - big mistake in alot of ways, but here I live. The house (with it's "shed", which attaches the original house to the barn, has 8 rooms, and an enormous barn is attached. The Barn has 4 sections, with 2 floors, and most of it has been packed with stuff which I've either collected since I've been here, or brought with me from Rhode Island.
I realized that part of the reason that I moved here in the first place was because I was unhappy with my living conditions where I was. Unfortunately, I brought it with me, and my brother brought his as well.
There are over 8,000 books in my house. I have built bookcases to contain them, but I'm not the best carpenter so they don't look so good. Along with my depression, I am bipolar, have anxiety/panic attacks, and have been diagnosed with PTSD. I am also raising my grandaughter, who has many of the same conditions.
One therapist told me that if I uncluttered my house I would unclutter my mind. While I'm not willing to part with alot of my possessions, I can tell the difference between usable stuff and trash. So, I'm using the 1st part of the barn as a staging area to sort things, and have managed to bring a great deal to the dump - excuse me "reclaimation center".
They have renamed everything. No wonder I'm confused!
It's a new term. The terms I heard as a child were "pack-rat", and it was related to the great depression. I used to joke that my family is part Irish so we save everything and part German so we file it in triplicate.
Truth is, when you are brought up this way it is really hard to part with things. But this is what I've been doing. In 2006 I bought an old farmhouse with 1 1/2 acres of land in rural Maine - big mistake in alot of ways, but here I live. The house (with it's "shed", which attaches the original house to the barn, has 8 rooms, and an enormous barn is attached. The Barn has 4 sections, with 2 floors, and most of it has been packed with stuff which I've either collected since I've been here, or brought with me from Rhode Island.
I realized that part of the reason that I moved here in the first place was because I was unhappy with my living conditions where I was. Unfortunately, I brought it with me, and my brother brought his as well.
There are over 8,000 books in my house. I have built bookcases to contain them, but I'm not the best carpenter so they don't look so good. Along with my depression, I am bipolar, have anxiety/panic attacks, and have been diagnosed with PTSD. I am also raising my grandaughter, who has many of the same conditions.
One therapist told me that if I uncluttered my house I would unclutter my mind. While I'm not willing to part with alot of my possessions, I can tell the difference between usable stuff and trash. So, I'm using the 1st part of the barn as a staging area to sort things, and have managed to bring a great deal to the dump - excuse me "reclaimation center".
They have renamed everything. No wonder I'm confused!
Replies