Tons of Clutter

Harlem brothers Homer and Langley Collyer lived in a rundown mansion at Fifth Ave. and 128th St. in Harlem. They were both found dead in 1947, crushed by an enormous collection of clutter.

An anonymous phone call led the Fire Department to the Collyer home and it took searchers 18 days to find their bodies among the clutter, which included a Model T and 10 pianos and, by some estimates, about 130 tons of clutter.

I raise this item of interest, which is described in more detail here, as a general warning about clutter. Clutter can kill. Which is why we are tackling clutter in our home this year.

Although I am not sure that we can tackle the clutter in our teenagers’ rooms. That would be an impossible task.