“This is Us” TV Show Resembles Reality

In the opening scenes on a recent episode of the hit drama This is Us, an elderly couple mulls over their overstuffed garage, lamenting the fact that they are overwhelmed with junk and can’t move on with their lives because of it.

“What a mess,” she says.

“Why throw it out, why not have a yard sale,” he retorts.

“Nobody wants this stuff, George.”

“This junk is the stuff of our lives,” he said sadly.

“The house has been on the market for three months and we haven’t even had a nibble,” she answers.

[Watch here]

The couple pulls out a crock pot that has “hardly been used” and ends up donating it to the Pearson family. Unfortunately [SPOILER ALERT], that crock pot has a short in the switch that ends up causing the devastating fire that shocks fans of the popular nighttime drama.

This is Us hits close to home on many accounts, which is probably why it has become so positively reviewed and nominated for Best Television Series.

But let’s get back to why we noticed this particular segment. At 123JUNK, we run into this situation quite often. We meet couples, especially older couples who have had decades to accumulate “the stuff of their lives,” who want or need to sell their home. But they can’t seem to let go of the old.

There is no way that all their possessions will fit into their new, probably smaller, home. And there is really no reason they need to take with them items like the crock pot they never use, the toys from their children’s youth, or the skis they haven’t touched in 20 years. But as the couple in This is Us references, these are the reminders—the touchstones—of their lives together.

Nobody can go into this home and tell the owners that they need to toss out all of their stuff in order to move, although that may be what needs to be done ultimately. No, it is much more delicate than that.

We train our staff to be sensitive to situations just like this. From the first conversation on the initial call to the uniformed team members who arrive at the home, the caring people at 123JUNK know how to listen and help our clients.

Sometimes it is the couple themselves who call us, however, we also work with Realtors, or a staging or organizing professionals who are helping the couple prepare for putting their home on the market for sale.

Donation Makes Downsizing Easier

The 123JUNK three-pronged approach to junk removal (Donate—Recycle—Dispose) often helps these couples with their culling process. They like that we have a donation aspect and will take perfectly good household goods, furniture and other items to our local charity partners like Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore or A Wider Circle who offer these items back to the community. This can make it easier to “let go” of items that have a particular sentimental value.

Having too much stuff can be immobilizing even if you’re not planning to move. This particular couple on This is Us obviously has not been able to use their garage as anything but a storage area for many years.

Believe it or not, we actually function better in less cluttered spaces. In a 2011 study by researchers at the Princeton University Neuroscience Institute, it was reported that in a cluttered environment, the chaos restricts one’s ability to focus and process information. It creates distraction and competes for your attention, wearing down your mental resources.

Clutter can also pose a physical hazard as well, especially for older individuals who may be more likely to trip and fall.

With the 123JUNK system, there is no need to separate items for donation, recycling or trash. To make it easier on our clients, these items can all be accumulated together. We’ll do the work for you. We’ll load our big red trucks accordingly, separate out items, and deliver them to our charity partners, the local recycling center, or the landfill, as appropriate.

Contact 123JUNK for Junk Removal

If you are looking to clear out a space, prepare your home for sale, or have a client that needs junk removal in Maryland, Northern Virginia or Washington DC, call 123JUNK today.