Confession of a Quasi-Hoarder: I have a tendency to keep unfinished projects, many of which are at the "collection of supplies needed" stage. During Covid isol

Confession of a Quasi-Hoarder: I have a tendency to keep unfinished projects, many of which are at the "collection of supplies needed" stage. During Covid isolation and depression, combined with a mentally ill roommate who added to all of it, it just overwhelmed my life. I had to evict the roommate, sadly, for my own self-preservation. I am happy to say that, AFAIK, he's in a better place today, and receiving treatment. MOST of his stuff left with him; a small remnant is stashed in corners of my basement and attic, and I throw out a sackful whenever I remember to do so. The rest... I extended an invite over Thanksgiving to a friend iby a temp job, far from her family. In return, we agreed she would help me clean up. She had learned from her daughter doing the same for her after her husband died, and very thoughtfully did just as I asked. She'd hold up something and say, "Are you going to finish this project?", and I'd say "Yes, someday... No... Throw it." She'd call me over after assembling a pile, and I'd give approval to throwing it. I had agency, and am certain I agreed to everything that went curbside. IIRC we filled 5 construction trash bags. For weeks afterwards, I would continue the trend with another half bag or so a week. It's given me a new trajectory. Someone ITT described a hoarder disliking empty spaces in their house; I have a romantic image in my head of a magician-type of person with a cluttered but ever-useful house. I am now replacing that with a romantic image of a clean, ordered house, with select places for ordered piles of stuff. I'm typing from my "office", where hundreds of tools sit within well-labeled bins, one bin deep, all readable from the center of the room. Order. Piles. And for the first time in my life, looking for a thing is something I can do in my head: "Go to my office. On the left wall, just below eye level, on the center of the shelf is a bin labeled 'SHARP THINGS'. You can find an exacto blade there." I can tell you where to find envelopes, DVI cables, electrical tape, and magnifying glasses, from memory. The room is the opposite of a heap... even if I have over a dozen screwdrivers in the bin labeled 'SCREWDRIVERS'. I say I'm a quasi-hoarder, because I've known people at the actual extreme. A friend who owns three houses, all filled to the brim, with only walkways through the stuff. Anyway... That's my confession. I have a lot of sympathy for those at the extreme end, because the dysfunction agues me as well. But a friend devoting a couple days to helping me really did a lot to empower me on a new direction in life.