Confessions of a hoarder

My name is Jane ......... and I am a hoarder.


There - I said it ! 


I am not as bad as some of those you see on some TV programmes BUT I really do keep all sorts of rubbish! .......... The point is ... it's not rubbish to me !


I was sorting out the Office the other day. (It used to be the downstairs front room but since Gina left home I have transferred it to her room. The downstairs room has been restored to the dining room!)      So ... in the first wave of clean out ... I did get rid of lots of stuff - mainly old documents from the business - things that had to be kept legally for a set number of years but now I could get rid of. 


We transferred the filing cabinets and desk upstairs and then I began filing ...... and sorting ....... and attempting to throw away ....... but that just didn't seem to pan out !!


A job that should have taken maybe a couple of hours began to drag out and ended up taking the WHOLE day - and I'm still not finished !!!


I came across little notes that the kids had written for me, old Christmas lists of presents bought and to whom I was giving them, work I had done for the Pre-school  15 years ago ........ and I just couldn't bin any of it !!!


I know the little notes are sentimental and people will understand me wanting to keep those but - the work for the pre-school is now out of date and as for the Christmas lists...... !


Of course there was other stuff as well - more up-to-date information and paperwork from the business and my last job but why oh why am I keeping it ?? 


I think - "ooh - that might be interesting and useful one day" - but you just know that the only time I will look at it will be in 10 years time when that too, is well out of date !!! BUT I JUST CAN'T BIN IT !


I think its one of those things that happens not just to me but universally - When I have got rid of some old kitchen utensil or some previous information you can guarantee that 2/3 weeks later there will be "now, where did I put x - that would be really useful today!" IT ALWAYS HAPPENS as soon as I have got rid of the thing I need it !


Or is it just that old sentimentality - these days you can download any information from the internet - including old versions of documents I have - you can buy new goods readily (if not reasonably cheaply too, from supermarkets) - Why would I need a box full of old tea-towels and hand-towels (the Disney and children's ones the kids had when little).


Yes - most of it is sentimentality - one day I will sort it all out properly - but thankfully, at the moment we have enough room in the house for several storage boxes - some in the attic, some in the cupboard under the stairs and some just sat there in Gina's room (the Office) that will remain for a little longer, till I either have to move to a smaller house or reach the age of 90 ..... and decide that I'd better clear out the diaries before someone else does !!