Today is writing prompt day from Mama Kat. Here is the one I chose.
4.) Hi, my name is ______ and I am a _______.
So... Hi, my name is Jody and I am a packrat.
Now I am not your have to walk through little pathways to get anywhere packrat. In fact my house is pretty darn clean. All counters and opens spaces have plenty of room on them. My house is nice.
However.... stay the hell away from my drawers. And my closets. And any other nook and cranny that I could possibly fill with stuff.
It drives me insane that I have to fill up empty drawers. It drives the honey insane. Although he really really has no idea how far this sickness of mine goes.
I keep things because I may need them. Or I paid for them why should I throw them away? Now I realize this is a problem. In fact I know where it stems from too. When I was young we moved at least once a year. Every time we moved I had to leave 90% of all my stuff behind. A lot of times it was a quick move in the middle of the night type of thing. I think now that I am older and not moving every year I grab hold of things and don't let go.
I KNOW this is a problem. I wish that I could fix it. There are times I will actually go through drawers to throw stuff away. It kind of goes like this.
"Oh look, I haven't seen this in over a year!" Throw it away! "no! what if I need it!" STUPID
A lot of the times I will huck stuff into the garbage but you know what.... that stupid drawer gets filled right back up.
I honestly hate it and wish with all my heart that I could change it. I just don't know how to get over the "I may need this" mentality.
Maybe I will clean a drawer today.
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I use to be the same way, not I just take a garbage bag every three months and make my rounds and say goodbye to things I have not used in the past 12 months! When my hubby-to-be saw my storage or "junk room" he wanted to pass out! We sat together and storted for hours would I needed and would I didn't! Good luck!!
ReplyDeleteHi Jody - thanks for stopping by today - how'd you find me? And thanks for the very sweet comment; I'm trying hard to do a good job but some days I wonder if I'm succeeding. . .
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I'm not a packrat but I'm married to one and he drives me nuts. One way to de-pack rat yourself might be to clean out a drawer or closet or whatever. Put what you think you may need someday into a box or plastic container. Put the container into the garage, attic or storage area. If you haven't gone to the box in 6-12 months; get rid of it without looking inside. Good luck!
jay's the same way. so when i want to throw something away (like that teflon skillet that's seen better days) i have to hide it in the garbage.
ReplyDeleteJody - hope it helps; if not, ask me, I've got loads of ideas (including one where you leave the home and a trusted friend comes in and takes care of it for you!!) ;-)
ReplyDeleteBrooke - my husband accuses me all the time of throwing stuff away that he just can't find! ::sigh:: He once got so frustrated that he couldn't find something that he was sure I threw away; he told my son - "don't sit still, or mommy might throw you away too!"
At least you have a valid reason for this! And I am able to hide my packratism in the same way ... don't open the closets or drawers! It looks neat on the outside but things are hidden.
ReplyDeleteMy sickness is a little different. I hate "junk drawers" (I also don't have drawer space to have a junk drawer, but I wouldn't have one if I did). Junk drawers, to me, are just ASKING to keep crap in them forever!
ReplyDeleteThat's why nothing gets put away in my house. I have little piles everywhere. There's the "I need to go through this pile" pile. The "I'm going to sort this stuff out, when I get the time" pile. The "I might use that later. I just gotta figure out where to keep it" pile.
My favorite though is the "Crap, that's been sitting there so long it's dirty and dusty and disgusting and I don't want to touch it" pile.
We all have our burdons to bear. :) Maybe I'll dig out a trash bag tonight... Maybe.