I am convinced there is a gene that is related to “hording Junk.”   Not every member of my family has it.  But my great grandmother had it, my grandmother did and so does my mother.  And unfortunately, I have it but not as bad at they did.   They collected and saved almost everything for decades then when they got to be in their 70s they started just tossing everything out.  Unfortunately they tossed out the antiques along with the trash, but that is ancient history. 

My two sisters (who have a different father) toss out everything all the time.  They don’t hold on to anything.  My one sister has even put out brand new unopened boxes of china and other valuables.  For years I’d be shocked and tell her to call me first before she threw out good stuff.  I’m no longer shocked by their behavior, and I no longer ask to know before hand so I can rescue their “junk,” but I still can’t just toss something out that I know is not junk.  I don’t know how they do it, it must be they are missing the “hording junk” gene.  

This weekend I managed to sort several bookshelves and a little bit in the dining room.  So far I have four boxes of books that something has to be done with.  Physically I just can’t do as much as I wish I could do so it is barely a dent in what needs doing - but it’s still a start. 

I can sort, I can organize, and I know what I want to get rid of.  I just don’t know how to get rid of it.   There is so much it is just too overwhelming to even think about it.  Sure most of it isn’t worth more then a few bucks, but there are a few things that I know should be worth something.  Problem is I have no idea how to find out.  Plus physically, even if I managed to sell stuff on ebay I doubt I could log it all over to the post office - I can barely move boxes out of the way in the living room.

But one step at a time.  First I’m just going to box it all up and put labels on the boxes (just taping on big sheets of paper with general description of contents.  I estimate it will take me about 2 or 3 years to get through it all. 

Before we moved to this house 6 years ago I did manage to get rid of some large pieces of antiques and a few other interesting items to an auction house.  They picked it all up, came me a reciept, and after a few months I received a check in the mail for several 100 dollars.  I was thrilled.   Now if I could just find something similar for the small stuff all my junk problems would be solved.

I don’t want to end up like my great grandmother and grandmother just throwing it all out, the good stuff along with the junk.   My mom lost her home, but she did manage to move some of her junk with her to my sister’s house.  She has a few more years before the “junk” gene switches from hording to tossing out.   If nothing else if I can’t figure out something I will give it all to charity (I plan on giving some it to charity any way).   

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