Confessions of a Micro Hoarder


How it began.


A long time ago when I was about 5, my family’s house caught on fire and we lost everything. Being 5, I didn’t realize what all of that meant. I only knew that my fave orange teddy bear and plastic Snoopy doll were gone. I missed them at night especially. About 7 years later we lost the house again (my dad rebuilt it after the fire, yes I helped too), when my parents could no longer afford it. We had to go from a 2 story house to a 2 bedroom apartment. Did I mention my mom is a pack rat? Well anyway. After that traumatic event I started to hoard boxes. I was always anxious that where we lived was only temporary and that we would have to leave soon.
I realized one day that I was a box hoarder when I looked under my bed and saw all of the boxes I’d kept from the things I’d bought over the years. Small boxes, just small enough to be hidden, but still useful, just in case I had to leave in a hurry. Because when your house burns down or you get foreclosed on, you have to leave in a hurry.


Later on in life, I’m still doing the same thing. Now I’ve gotten a bit more crafty in hiding this reality from myself. My trick is out of sight out of mind. Since I can break down bigger boxes, I just flatten them and stick them in places where I can’t see them(behind headboards, bookshelves, in between a wall and an appliance), but feel secure in that they are there. I keep the boxes from all of my electronics, and we know a cell phone shelf life is about 6 months to a year, at least for me. I have a box full of smaller boxes. I keep this box full of boxes usually hidden under a sheet and use it as a prop for my paintings.


Some people collect knickknacks and cds. I collect boxes. Does anyone have a couch and 4, 60 minute sessions for me?

2 comment(s) thus far...:

In Search Of Joy said...

Well lady lemme say that I am a hoarder of papers and shoes. As a woman that has always been on the boarder of too big for this store and too small for the other, shoes are the one thing that I am the 'perfect' size for. So needless to say I have three shoe racks in the closet and shoes in the corner in boxes (boxes you can have if you 'need' them. lol).
Papers...there is nothing like needing a document and not being able to find it. So now I keep EVERYTHING. I finally went through some this week and two garbage bags later I had filed the essentials. The rest I let go of my 'what if' syndrome screaming in my ears and threw them away. I TOTALLY understand how hoarding starts...I am just so thankful that I am vain enough not to let it get out of hand.

amymay said...

I'm almost just the opposite. I lost a lot of my stuff following my divorce (roughly half, LOL) and then again when a roommate situation went ugly a few years ago, I walked away from everything but some clothes and pictures. It was easier and less stressful to let it go. I don't know why or how, but I just remember thinking, "It's either this stuff or my peace of mind.... welp, fcuk the stuff!"

top