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.