Tuesday, September 22, 2009

One man's junk is another man's treasure

I bought a goblet, a fog machine, and a giant bag of toys/figurines. I had no idea who I was until I thought back to a friend's mother. She was an avid "collector" of dolls who had turned her hobby into a hoarding addiction. Along with her dolls she also holds onto random things she thinks she will need later and small treasures, each holding a certain memory.

I thought to myself, my person is a obsessive compulsive hoarder and each of my toys has a specific part of me in it. I can't let go of these toys for this reason. If I did, I would be throwing away a piece of myself.

I am caught in a cycle of disgust for the clutter in my home, having the inability to part with pieces that I believe to have relationships with, and purchasing more things that I find connections with.

Maybe, I have poor relationships with people and am extremely introverted. My closest relationship is with my things. I am taking the easy way out, avoiding rejection by forming bonds with objects that can never reject me.

I am middle aged. I have the potential and ability to save myself from this harmful cycle, but who knows if I can overcome my addiction, my crutch.

I know that many hoarders believe that hoarding is much more than collecting useless junk. Many live by the saying, "One man's junk is another man's treasure."

To make this into more of a project and to complex my person, I decided to take inventory of my toys (because my obsessive compulsive hoarder must know always how much and how many memories she has):

1 Green Disney game character with stretchy mouth
1 Hog/Bat in trenchcoat with light up birdhouse
4 Dinosaur figurines
1 Plastic skeleton
2 Horses (1 with starry butt, 1 golden sandie)
3 Frogs (1 that squeeks)
1 Anteater
1 Tiny gray monkey
1 Tiny lion
1 Toddler turtle
1 Glow in the dark centipede
1 Fish clip
4 Lizards
1 Shrek baby
1 Shaman figurine
1 Rhinoceros beetle
1 Green M&M figurine
1 Buzzing fly
3 Scorpions
1 Measuring tape dog
1 Disney Princess Snow White
1 Barbie figurine
2 Miscellaneous bug clips
1 Rubber bat
1 Praying mantas
3 Black rats
2 Moose
1 Giant ant
1 Scared pirate
1 Rubber ducky
7 Arachnids
13 Snakes


Snakes 13 and counting.

Everyday, twice a day my character takes inventory of her "collection." As she collects more she adds to her list, causing this task to take up more time in her day and slowly she loses her connection to a world outside of her "things."

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