Year Of No Clutter

 

   All of us accumulate stuff. As we live our lives there are things that we receive that seem to mean to us importance.  Our report cards, our first piece of writing, and so on.

  Our parents, especially our mothers, coo over our accomplishments and save them in boxes to pass on to us once we are adults.

   Some of us become what is politely called hoarders, unable to throw away past records of life steps.

   We may even collect our trophies in separate rooms and close off the doors so others don’t catch on we are just unable to organize.

    Schaub in this memoir points out it is generational. At least it was for her family. Her father taught her by example to hoard. It is something taught and then caught.

    Sometimes it makes no sense. You may collect cans or paper or books or food even.  Sometimes even the science projects of long time ago get in your collection.

    But it can be controlled. Schaub took a whole year to get the habit down of control. Her delightful journey she took  along with her husband and children is detailed in a humorous way in this book.

    She had a place called the Hell room where she hide the clutter. Every hoarder has a place of clutter no matter what the name.

    Hoarders will recognize the problem. Non-hoarders will smile and cut the hoarders some slack, with understanding.

    I recommend this book highly. All will recognize themselves as we all are hoarders to a certain extent. If not hoarders we do have clutter of different types.

   Read. Weep. Laugh.

   The book is published by Sourcebooks and retails for $15.99.