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Post by rededen on Jul 23, 2014 8:50:38 GMT -5
I have a friend called Rowan. Actually that's not his real name but we'll call him that. Rowan is a hoarder. He's not a dirty hoarder, doesn't live in squalor, but he's definately a hoarder. Lovely bloke. Known him for years. Do anything for you. But. Ro seems to be attracted to items left on the footpath. Now in Australia the concreted walk way that goes beside your fence outside your front garden and between the road is called the footpath. If there's a grassy segment as well that's called the nature strip (whether it's lush & green or suffering in the drought) and more often than not people leave stuff out for others to take on the nature strip. It's free. The local authorities don't like you taking stuff from outside people's places because they technically own the footpath and nature strip but you're supposed to look after it. Mow it etc. So when we have these hard rubbish collections, people go around at night inspecting the piles others have placed there. Might pick up a bargain. The local council says you're not to take stuff but we're Aussies after all and if we want to give something away for free that's our bloody business and not the council's. They can bugger off. But I digress. Ro. Rang me up recently and asked if I wanted a filing cabinet. Er no. Ro Darl, I've got three thank you very much. I couldn't resist. Why do you ask, I said. Well there's this perfectly good 3 drawer Namco filing cabinet with the key attached and it works and it's on the nature strip near my house. Well thanks for thinking of me but no Ro, don't need one. It took a bit of convincing that I really didn't need a fourth filing cabinet. Went to visit Ro a couple of months back (made some jam as he supplied me with glass jars). Guess what? Ro had found a food processor with all the bits attached and proudly informed me that it worked and as I did a lot of cooking would I like it? Yep. You guessed it. It came from the nature strip. Hmmm. There were 3 food processors in Ro's kitchen. Thinking of going into commercial catering, I asked? This boy's got a problem. Ro rescues things. He just can't believe the stuff people throw away. But they're not throwing it away, Ro. They're putting it out on the nature strip to give away to others. But it's perfectly good. How can they just put stuff out? Because they don't want it, I said. Ro shakes his head and always seems quite distressed when he sees something he thinks is perfectly good and how come it's not wanted. He just can't believe it, he keeps telling me. Now Ro has this covered back deck and we go there for BBQ's in summer. Very nice. He's furnished it with rescued items. Got a very nice large glass topped table. 8 chairs. A perfectly good working BBQ - not the latest model mind you, but it scrubbed up very well thank you. Rescuing items is a problem for many. Ro, it's a thing, not a person. What are you saving it from? He's not saving it FROM, he's saving it FOR. FOR someone who could use it. I'm so touched he thinks of me, you know. We regularly have this discussion. Look it's great he thinks of others but others don't think of him. This 'rescuing' has to stop, Ro. It is a genuine problem for him and not just with food processors either. We have a number of charities that will actually take working electrical equipment so I told Ro to go and deliver it to them. He can't tell me why he's got this need to rescue things. I've yet to find out the cause. In the meantime if my old food processor dies, I'll ask Ro to get me one.  |
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Post by ohblondie on Jul 23, 2014 10:52:13 GMT -5
Saving FOR...interesting perspective......I like ROwan...can he find a charity shop to donate them to?
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Post by def6 on Jul 23, 2014 15:14:59 GMT -5
Great post Red....even though I consider myself a squaloree /oranizationally challenged with a side of procrastinator ...I too think I can see the value in things that other people cannot appreciate. This makes my decluttering sessions especially difficult.  |
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Post by sillycanuck on Jul 23, 2014 16:54:01 GMT -5
Maybe if he joined a charity and went along on their deliveries to thankful clients--he could see the reactions and realize he has been saving items for THEM (just a thought)
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Post by dayeanu on Jul 23, 2014 22:37:05 GMT -5
If he could grasp that maybe there's someone who needs it more than he does. When he takes it home off the foot path, he's depriving someone else who might really need it, of the opportunity to "find" it on the footpath.
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