Just Off Main Street

Lynn Hudoba: The Urge to Purge

Is the thrill of getting rid of stuff as much of a disorder as hoarding?

Hoarding seems to be all the rage these days, and I wonder what it is about this moment in history that has brought out this particular brand of crazy in the human race. I suppose some will try to make the case, as they frequently do with autism, that this disorder has always been around and has just now been given a fancy label. To which I say what I always say: I sure don’t remember being around tons of people like this when I was growing up to the point where I said to myself “There really oughta be a name for that.” But these days you can’t hardly swing a dead cat without hitting someone who has a house full of dead cats. I was going to say that I am whatever the opposite of a hoarder is. But I think that would imply that I live in an …

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