Thoughts on Hoarding

My sister once told me that everyone hoards things, and there are different levels of hoarding, 1-5 with 5 being the kind of people you see on the show "Hoarders". I trust her, because she just knows things like this on account of the fact that she reads constantly. You might think to yourself, "What? No. I do not hoard anything." But you do, most likely. You may not realize it though. Here are the definitions of hoarding:

noun
1. a supply or accumulation that is hidden or carefully guarded for preservation, future use, etc.: A vast hoard of silver

verb (used with object):
1. to accumulate for preservation, future use, etc., in a hidden or carefully guarded place: to hoard food during a shortage
2. to accumulate money, food, or the like, in a hidden or carefully guarded place for preservation, future use, etc.

This means, if you stockpile anything, at all, including groceries, say, in your pantry (carefully hidden away), then you hoard. Maybe a level 1, but you do. Unless you are living in a bare room on a mat on the floor with one set of spare clothes to wear when you're washing the other set, with a few things like one book, one toothbrush and one towel, and go out every day to seek your food, then you hoard things. I'm betting most people reading this blog don't live like Japanese monks. That's okay, there is an acceptable level of hoarding, at least according to society. 

It got me thinking though, about the odd things people hoard. Rich people, for example, hoard things like cars, jewelry and fine art. You might again think to yourself, "What? No. Rich people collect things like cars, jewelry and fine art. To that I say, "collecting" is merely an acceptable form of hoarding. Here are the definitions of collect:

verb (used with object):

1. to gather together; assemble: The professor collected the students' exams.

2. to accumulate; make a collection of: To collect stamps.

3. to receive or compel payment of: To collect a bill.

4. to regain control of (oneself or one's thoughts, faculties, composure, or the like): At the news of her promotion, she took a few minutes to collect herself.

5. to all for and take with one: He drove off to collect his guests. They collected their mail.

The definitions both use the word "accumulate" and that is what they both are, the accumulation of things not currently being used. Here are a few things that I've realized I hoard: dental floss, mascara, and tea. So I took pretty, instagram-esque pictures of my odd hoarding collections (see what I did there?), each of which I totally have a valid reason for, just like I'm sure the old lady on hoarders feels she has a need for the endless stacks of old newspapers and fourteen cats and 5 unopened blenders.

After I took this picture I found an additional woven floss in my travel kit. I have issues.

I have bad teeth, and after two root canals and innumerable fillings I have developed a definite cavity paranoia. This woven floss is what I have found that works the best to clean my gums and between my teeth. For some reason, it was really hard to find after I discovered it, so I got into the habit of buying it every time I saw it in a store rather than waiting until I needed it and chancing not being able to find it. Piled underneath the one I'm currently using there are the sad rejects of times that this happened to me. Except the Colegate one, my dentist gives me those every time I get my teeth cleaned. 

You know, in case the Queen of England ever stops by.

I have such a tea obsession that people give me tea as gifts, and I love it. Tea is an excellent gift for me, even though I clearly already have too much. This doesn't even include my loose-leaf collection which is much harder to stack. Don't ask me why I need three different kinds of chai, or why I bought two boxes of gingerbread spice tea at one time. I have what I believe to be a valid reason, but it's just the hoarder talking.

Putting my hoard on a silver platter makes it prettier.

There are probably people who have more mascara than me, but I think having four at once, including one that has sat unopened since September constitutes hoarding. The smaller two are samples, but I intentionally went and got the D&G sample even though I already had the other three tubes, because free mascara, that's why.