[quote=flyer]It’s definitely true that “stuff” can own you, if you allow it to. Perhaps, as human beings, we tend to cling to “things” in order to validate our existence, and to give ourselves a greater sense of self worth.
Realizing that everything on earth is temporary–great to have while you’re here, and then pass it on–really puts the value of “stuff” into perspective for me.[/quote]
Apparently, hoarders keep things because they serve as reminders of precious times that they know they will never get back again. There are different types of hoarders, and the ones who shop and store new/unused things aren’t the type I’m referring to in this case. Some hoarders don’t store stuff that they buy brand new, they store stuff that reminds them of people — their children, parents, spouses, good friends who have left or passed away — or even good times, like when they were young and perhaps involved in something special like semi/professional sports, or modeling, or entertainment, etc.
I’ve seen perfectly normal people start to hoard things when they lost a spouse, child, or parent. They keep everything that has any kind of attachment to that person, and they treasure those things, even though it might be a broken bucket that their child used when s/he was a little boy, or newspapers or magazines that a now-deceased parent kept around the house. It’s pretty sad to listen to the stories that these people share about their past and what led them to their current way of living. In these cases, it’s not at all about keeping up with the Joneses, but of keeping a loved one’s memory alive.
