Have any of you watched the television show Hoarders?
It's about people who cannot...CANNOT let go of anything. Their houses are full to the brim with junk, their cars, their garages...everything is full, full, full of junk. There's usually some sort of traumatic life loss behind this compulsion, something snaps in their brains and they just can't throw anything away. It's very sad and awful, a lonely existance filled with flotsam but usually no people because there's no room, and they're embarrassed.
The show's producers basically interview and film the person before, get interviews from loved ones who are doing an intervention with the show's help, hire professional cleaners/organizers and try to unbury the person, getting them psychological help in the process. So there IS hope!
I don't watch a lot of television...in fact, that's one of my silly goals this year, to watch at least one popular show so I have something to talk about with the rest of the world. But every once in a while, I stumble upon this show on A&E and watch an hour of it. Inevitably, after watching the show, I look around and get almost panic-y if I see any clutter. There's always clutter, with a family; life together just produces it, and it's not always a bad thing. But it sure spurs me into action, tossing any stray paper, hole-y sock I run across, little McDonalds toys that broke, raggedy old dish cloths.
It's good to get perspective, even if it's extreme.
What kicks you into action, at your house? Company coming? Saturday ritual cleaning? Losing a cat in the laundry and not finding it for several hours?
Here's a link to the website, where you can watch full-length episodes:
http://www.aetv.com/hoarders/
4 comments:
Nothing cleans house like company.
I have actually pulled the boys in the room to see a bit of this show and say "THIS is why I make you clean your room, otherwise you could end up like THIS!"
I haven't seen it in forever but it always made me clean too.
Burn Notice. That's what Jake and I are watching on Netflix now.
I like to watch (well, mostly listen and look up every now and then) on Hulu while I work. It is motivating in a strange way to see those worst case scenarios. You emerge from the show wanting to do whatever it takes to avoid that same fate.
In the show I saw this past weekend, at least two flattened cats were found under 3+ feet of garbage. While the crew shoveled out the living room, the home owner asked if they could be on the watch for her dentures, which she had dropped on the floor years before and never replaced. One plate was found under a glacier of refuse...and she actually wanted to wear them again -- gross!
Oh, my goodness, Shelly!!!!
(I miss all the good ones...*sigh*)
:)
Your comment made me laugh out loud! And gag!
Glad you showed the boys, Denise; everyone should watch it, at least once!
I am bad about hoarding, but not nearly as bad as one of my friends. I am not kidding--there are only paths around inside her house. It really is an illness!
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