Clean House

I don't watch a whole lot of TV, but this weekend, I was enthralled with a show on 'Style' called Clean House. I love watching the transformation of a room... those TLC design shows keep me glued to the TV. Redecorating a room is exciting to me, but Clean House and Clean Sweep type shows don't make sense to me.
Here's what made me begin to think: why do we have so much junk? What is the meaning of a 'collection?' What's the attachment to materials? It's really a memory that we hold onto and a material object brings that memory to mind.
That leads me to another thought: why do we hold so tightly to memories? What about the past brings comfort or attachment?
I truly believe that the past is for education. It's also for recognizing God's faithfulness. God continues to use past experiences to show me His faithfulness. However, there's nothing 'material' that I can collect to show God's activity in my life. I've begun to realize that material things really are a hindrance to my relationship with the Lord because I often find comfort in having the 'thing' and not using the 'thing.'
If everyone that entered those Clean House shows realized that the junk isn't a memory or a treasure but a hindrance, then we'd all use things and be present in the moment more.