Published on 12, July, 2020
I was wondering today if this is an autistic thing.
I've spent several decades collecting objects and the last decade+ trying to rid myself of the majority.
However, I have given up on the idea of ever being minimalist.
I notice that I remember where everything came from, even, when purchased, which shop in which town.
I try not to be sentimental about things, but sometimes I can't help it.
My mother, who I believe was autistic, was a hoarder in quite an extreme sense.
My autistic friend finds it very hard to part with belongings.
Everything has an association.
Are others like this and are there contributors here who are genuinely minimalistic and don't have an attachment to things?
There is also probably a generational thing at work here.
I wasn't brought up in this throwaway society where objects are cheap (but not food and fuel!).
My parents lived through WW2 and were of the 'make do and mend' generation.
They were on rations during the War and my mother often spoke of it.
After the War things were kept as 'they might come in handy one day' and I've obviously imbibed some of this.
I absolutely agree. Growing up, our family kept the same stuff, only rarely buying "new" things.
When I remember the "bin collection" in the 1970's (quantity wise = 1 bin bag per week) compared to now (I suppose x2 or x3 bags)....it is horrific! How the hell did we let it become like this Chuck-away-Charlie free-for-all.
Number said:How the hell did we let it become like this Chuck-away-Charlie free-for-all.
There is a massive change between how life was as we were growing up - me in the 1960s/70s, my husband in the 1950s/60s.
It is quite extraordinary this business with clothes.
My mum made ours as we were poor and we wouldn't dream of just getting rid of them because they weren't fashionable.
Actually, they never were fashionable.
Goods were expensive and valued and nowadays they are cheap and not valued.
I agree, I find it totally unacceptable and refuse to participate myself. Though my husband has one (second hand) so if there is something like that then it is possible. But I still protest and will complain to whatever company if it is possible to find out how... but so many of them are now so hard to contact, and my executive functioning is poor.
I think they do recycle them to some level to at least extract the valuable minerals in them.