Hoarding & Collecting

"Hoarding is about keeping things inside."
This is what one lady says in the promo of the show 'Hoarders'. 

I collect all kinds of stuff.  Will need item xyz in the future as opposed to what I need in the present?  I store stuff for practical use as opposed to something that makes me happy. It's collected for the fact that I may use it later on & when I do really need it I will thank myself for saving it. 

I have stuff collected, gathering dust that most (if not any) people don't know about me. (My poor family that will uncover all the crap I have when I die!) 

But am I a collector or am I a hoarder?
It's not collecting it is hoarding.   It's hoarding from the stand point that it's not on display, I don't really talk about it & it's not something that makes me happy. A collector on the other hand is someone who accumulates things that interest them, converses about it & displays them.  For example a collector of stamps or owls or Ferrari's.

Here's my secret list of things I hoard. (gulp!)

• Sealy/Zip-lock bags - For travel, especially for flights
• Spare buttons (that you get with new clothes)
• Paper shopping bags

• Plastic bags
• Safety pins
• Travel brochures & Maps - They're glossy & pretty, from places I've been & where I'd like to travel to (which is everywhere, so yeah I have a shelf full of these)

• Book marks - I don't have 2, 3 or 4 but close to 20
• Post-it notes - They're pretty & the fact that it is stationery (that's another blog post!).
• Notebooks/ Exercise books- Mostly all blank with nice covers
• Fancy dress accessories (Someone please have a Hawaiian Luau party so I can wear my grass skirt and lei's!) 

I hoard.  I'm a hoarder.  I make excuses for what I hoard.  I just hope by disclosing my hoarding side it's a step in the right direction.  I'm taking ownership for my hoarding issue (problem) & it will allow me to start dealing with the fact that I don't really need these.  Will I ever wish that I held onto the 50 plastic bags I have instead of having just 1 or 2 spare?

 

 

 

 Images from; 

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1kQvS5UdH-O3h-T5Hpto8JIKW-eA8Cc5Tacvt_a2Q9BuRLiZ0sm0xH8IQuS_-Lf_zVhIKfKpojFxlsrIYiWB8wzfOhmP6TvEQc-nB1AQttE6yqcT546KWTxPVJfySbggMvcE0346pEC0/s1600/alg_shopping-bags.jpg 

http://rhodiadrive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Old-Maps.jpg

 

Media Attention for the Loud and Rich

The Superannuation changes that the Labor government were wanting to introduce are now sidelined. There was too much of an uproar.  Fact is, it was only going to affect a few, the rich few.

Have you heard much about the single parents (mainly women) who have been moved onto the Newstart Allowance (the Dole) after their youngest child turns 8 years?  This is instead of them receiving the normal parent supplement.  Probably not.  They don't have money for campaigns & time for too much Government lobbying. They can't even study as they are ineligible for Study Assistance while on Newstart.

The Mining tax.  How much did it raise again? Just a few million, in the scheme of things, its next to nothing. Why? Due to all politics & the lobbying it became so heavily diluted that it was grossly ineffective. The noise & hoo-haa that the mining industry made saved the profits & the bonuses of the "Mining magnates".

The Private Health rebate is being means-tested.  Those earning over $150,000 are crying poor. Meanwhile those earning under $50,000 still have to pay for Private Health (which increases every year).  If they can't afford it at present, they will be penalised when they can afford to with a percentage of the premium added on.

I'm getting the uneasy feeling that when something gets in the way of life or affects the finances of the more affluent, more of a noise is made. 
Let's hear some noise from those who don't have as many resources at their disposal. 

Let's hear what our struggling Australian's have to deal with.

Self Control & Delayed Information

You know that Marshmallow experiment? The one where the child is offered 1 marshmallow now or they can have 2 marshmallows in 15minutes time?  I always think that I will be able to hold out the 15min and be in control. It may be tempting as hell, but I'm pretty sure I could wait for a second marshmallow.

 What if the marshmallow is replaced? What if it is access to data? Or power/electricity?  Could you wait 15min to check your phone? I'm not so sure of that. I'm especially not so sure of that when I'm wanting to Tweet something or I'm waiting for a message from someone. It can be quite unbearable.  It can feel like we're in a black hole. 

While I was stuck in NYC during Sandy, there wasn't so much as a hunger for food,  it was more of a hunger to be connected and have access to power up our phones! It was more important to Tweet & Instagram the effects of a Hurricane than to ensure our neighbours were safe & that we had enough supply of food and drink!

In this day in age, we can't wait for anything. We're so dependant on our phones as entertainment or even as our 'iBFF'*. Yes, the data we have access to now is what we will have in 15min time, but in that 15min we may miss out on something important. FOMO - Fear Of Missing Out. That oh so funny meme or the breaking news. You want to be first with that news or at least get in early with a re-tweet or Pin or Facebook update. 

We want more & want more frequently.  We do more online shopping than ever, but what is the greatest negative of online shopping? It's that we have to wait for it to be shipped or mailed out.  Aghhhhh! This could take 7-10days.  Can we wait for this second marshmallow?  Well, we have to, but it's going to be mighty painful.  Mitigating this, there are now companies online that can coordinate and guarantee delivery of an item in 3 hours! This is even better than same day delivery!

If the marshmallow experiments were to take place again today, maybe the same results would have been found. However, today's marshmallow isn't necessarily a marshmallow. Could we leave an iPad on the table instead?




* iBFF - coined by Me. Feel free to let it catch on!

Reference:
Stanford Marshmallow Experiment by Walter Mischel - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanford_marshmallow_experiment

Image from: 
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2008/11/02/article-1082430-025607E8000005DC-828_468x302.jpg