Overstuffed

Fiorella has gotten hooked on Hoarders.   Viewing the messes people make is like rubbernecking at a car wreck, but without the mayhem because hoarding is a passive exercise. But, as in a car wreck, there are victims.  The perpetrators usually aren't too concerned about the scene they've created, but their friends and relatives are.

Some people are collectors--of dolls, junk, animals, beer cans, you name it.  One woman had over 5000 dolls stuffed into her house.  And some people never clean up or throw anything out--even dead animals, trash, the remains of meals.

Fio personally knew a woman who was an ardent acquirer.  She had an entire bedroom dedicated to dolls.  Unopened boxes lined the walls about six feet deep, and a huge mountain of naked baby dolls rose from the floor.  The rest of her home was host to every other kind of collection imaginable.  Everything was neat and clean, but visitors had to navigate narrow passageways to get from room to room.  The scene was overwhelming--and scary.

Years ago, Fiorella volunteered to come over and help another woman diminish her pile of arts and crafts projects, a small start on a house overflowing with antiques and memorabilia.  So what happened when Fio showed up at the woman's house?  She discovered that the lady had gone out and bought several more arts and crafts projects for her and Fio to work on.



Fiorella currently knows a woman who can't throw away anything--ANYTHING--because it might be of use someday. Her house also is a labyrinth--and she doesn't understand why her grandchildren aren't allowed to visit.

And if Fiorella herself has known three hoarders, there must be millions more of them out there.  How sad.