Sep 7, 2011

Hoarding Is As Hoarding Does

I've been meaning to expose this dirty little secret for a while, so I thought I'd take Mama Kat's Writing Prompt to help me get it going. Here it is... I'm a hoarder. But not in the A&E television show kind of way, that's for damn sure. I can't even watch that show; it's repulsive. I have limited myself to manageable Tupperware boxes that either reside in the basement, garage... or still at my parent's house. I'm sure I'll be acquiring those boxes in the not-so-distant future as well, but I'm prolonging it as much as possible. It's not that I necessarily have to have the boxes close to me, but I can't part with them either.

I have trouble letting go...
Of everything.
Of everyone.

I would consider myself a sentimental hoarder. I know, I know... all hoarders impose some kind of sentimental value on every item they acquire, but I *think* mine is slightly different because they are items that are specifically connected to times or events in my life.

Here are the top 5 things that I currently possess and will NEVER throw away... not ever.
So, fuck off, Dr. Tompkins, I don't need your fixin'!

1. In grade 1, Paul gave me a perfectly heart-shaped rock. I keep this in my jewelry box.

2. In grade 5, Kevin bought me a can of pink Cream Soda at Friday night skating (which was a huge deal at the time, by the way). I kept the can - it's in one of the Tupperware boxes.

3. I have every single letter from Paul, Jason and Luke - who were my main correspondents during my teen years. The letters vary between friendship and grand expressions of love and longing. They are all in a series of Doc Marten boxes at my parent's place. I just saw them last week and was reminded that I'll have to read through and share some of the best ones... but of course.

4. The more I think about it (and knowing myself as well as I do), I'm fairly certain that the condom wrapper that I taped to my school diary was likely from the day I lost my virginity. Yes, almost positive. Ewww.

5. This final item that I'm sharing today is extremely important to me. I had a lot of t-shirts in high school and even now, I am a self-proclaimed t-shirt whore, but THIS one... this one is special. I found it at a Value Village and it still had the original vendor's price tag on it. Now, if you've ever thrift store shopped, you know that's a golden find... and it was INDIANA JONES... HELLO! I'd never seen anything like it, anywhere. This wasn't a cheesy movie t-shirt; this was retro perfection.

This shirt has been all over the world with me. It's been through everything I have been through. I'm going to be super fucking lame and go so far as saying that it's like one of my Horcruxes. Yeah, I said it. Whatever.

It represents over a decade of my life and yet, it's never faded and there are no holes in it. A decade of falling in and out of love
(and back in it again, sometimes).
Of moving and travelling.
Of learning, losing, gaining and settling.
Of growing up and becoming who I am at this very moment, whomever that may be.

And throughout all my adventures, I've always had Indy.


Mama's Losin' It

19 comments:

  1. Go check out my Friday Follower from last week then. She and Her hubby Greg are dealing with their parents hoarding...

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  2. Ok first LOVE the shirt and I don't think keeping some things is too bad.. ahem but yeah it can go a little far.. I don't think I would have kept the wrapper for the condom or the pop can lol

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  3. I call that being a packrat, not a horder :)
    I still have the notes that my best friends and I wrote back and forth during class in grade 7 & 8.
    Very cool t-shirt.

    Sarah

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  4. I was never real sentimental until I had kids. Now I can't get rid of any of their things to save my life.

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  5. Ah I love that t-shirt! I am particularly attached to my MASH t-shirt but just because I think it is soooo cool.

    I have been accused of not being sentimental because I don't keep a lot of stuff . . . I guess I am the anti-hoarder!
    Jenn

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  6. The condom wrapper? Ewww.

    The t-shirt? Awesomesauce!

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  7. Oh goodness, we are more kindred spirits than I thought we were, which might sound like a joke to those who compares our blogs (you with your leather boots, and me? uhm I don't know what I'm doing exactly).

    But having trouble letting go?? That is SO my specialty also. I am f*cking horrible at letting go. If I could bag every kiss, every touch, every 'glance' (and you know what kind of glance)--all those little trinkets from moments in my life, I would! And you know what's the suckiest thing? It doesn't take much for me to get attached to things, and yet it's sooo hard to let go!

    *banging my head on the table*

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  8. i'd be a hoarder if it wasn't for my Aaron, he purges everything of mine, except 1 box in our storage closet that says---"Do not throw away--very important" pictures and dried flowers, concert ticket stubs---lit'l tokens from my life. I love going through it.

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  9. that is the best t-shirt ever! I am not a hoarder, I throw stuff away even if I know I might need it again. Except clothes, I still have loads of sweatshirts and t-shirts that have sentimental value. You rock.

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  10. @todd

    My hubs keeps threatening to toss some things out; he better tread carefully.

    @Bridget

    Thank you :)

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  11. dude, somethings you should keep.. all of those things have meaning for you.
    things you should NOT keep?
    1. hair from your hair brush
    2. fillings
    3. blood from an ex boyfriend (omg I'm questionning this one.. you might have this)
    4. doll heads (another one I question)
    5. toe nail clippings
    6. cats.

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  12. My family is that way. My brother is the worst he once found a chair with no seat and kept it cause he may need it one day!

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  13. Sentiment will get us all in trouble. When responding to the prompt I never considered the fact that I'm already a hoarder of sorts... oops. I too have boxes of items that I don't think I will ever let go. Anything my mom has ever written to me, pieces of ribbon that came on gifts that were extremely thoughtful, flower petals, rocks from random places... I could go on and on. Thanks for helping me see the light!

    www.mindogandmetch.com

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  14. @Metch

    Always glad to help! lol

    @Jessica

    I'm not THAT bad, but I use to keep a lot of weird little things in the hopes that I could use them in an art project... some day. I'm a bit more realistic about that now-a-days. (Realistic = Given up)

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  15. Love all the things you have kept! And thank God you only saved the wrapper of said condom wrapper! Haha

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  16. Wonderful memories. Awesome fucking Indiana Jones!! You rock girl. Keep every single one Of those things and horde away! Stuff like that should make us all...hording whores or whore horders? Man that's hard to say...:-)

    Dean
    Http://leftcoastguy.com

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  17. Love the shirt.... I have the version from the end of the movie where they open the arc and everyones face melts off..... Its not nearly as attractive

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