And with the anxiety comes slacker days. I am very protective of my slacker days. I have come to enjoy them. I need them. They are healthy for me. I was definitely going to need a few slacker days this holiday season. So, I decided to get my butt in gear and get some of the not so fun stuff out of the way before the holidays. I started in the living room and kitchen....mostly because those rooms are near the TV and it was college football Saturday.
Little did I know that on this cleaning day, I would come to realize what my greatest, most life long collection would be. I discovered it while cleaning and sorting through the boxes, baskets and trunks in my living room. It shouldn't have astonished me, but it did.
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| Treasure Chests |
Collections and The Collector, A Fascination Game.......
Being a lifelong collector of something is very enjoyable. Why? I am not sure I can pinpoint exactly why. Some thoughts.....
Maybe it is a small but meaningful goal we need in our day to day lives. A goal that is attainable. We may not even realize we set this little goal. Let's face it, achieving a goal, even a small one, has a satisfying and positive impact on one's life. Maybe it is a tangible reminder of an event, that when gazed upon or held, brings forth special memories from the banks of your mind. Memories made during a wonderful experience or adventure you had.
Maybe it reminds us of loved ones. Maybe the collection was inspired by a family member or friend. Maybe you are adding to an already existing collection from someone you love who is no longer around. Maybe it is just fun to do. Maybe it is just stuff you like. Maybe it is a good addiction in a world full of bad ones. There are lots of reasons why we collect objects, none of which are wrong. Well... unless you collect people. If you collect people you are most likely a serial killer or a serial something and that is very, very wrong. Don't collect people. Very wrong.
Anyways, I put having a life long collection on my bucket list. I decided I was going to write about my souvenir patches because next to photos, that was the only life long collection that I genuinely had. Or so I thought. You see, I have this big wicker trunk in my living room that I wanted to vacuum behind. When I went to move it, it was freakin' heavy. My back was not expecting that at all. Guess we are going to sort through this too, I thought to myself. Might as well.
I knew what was in this trunk. It was used to store random photos, trinkets, menus, maps, greeting cards, and everything else under the sun that did not have a home. It was time to make a home for everything. I had a few decorative suitcases and another smaller trunk that were homes in the making. Let me put all of this together and make more sense of it.
When I pulled back the hinge on the trunk I gasped a little. I did not realize I had put so much stuff in there. I grabbed the other trunk and cases and began my chore. I spent the next 8 hours laughing and crying and reminiscing. Turns out, it's my journeys and adventures with friends and family that fascinate me most. 43 years of my life was sprawled out on the floor around me. 43 years of memories and emotions spilled out onto my living room carpet.
Let's take a peek inside my box of treasures.
The contents included:
Menus from the many restaurants I have visited over the years.
Maps of the places I have traveled.
Hotel brochures from places I've stayed.
Mini golf sheets from days out golfing with my son.
They keys from my Pontiac 6000, my first car.
Birthday cards from my grandparents.
Drumsticks and guitar picks from concerts and local bands.
Football schedules from high school.
My first checkbook.
Nametags from restaurants I worked.
Ticket stubs....holy ticket stubs from games and movies and concerts and events.
Awards, stickers, and decals.
Souvenir patches.
Wine tasting lists
Handwritten notes and cards.
Stolen trinkets from drunken nights with friends.
City guide books.
Wedding invitations and favors.
My greyhound's dog tags. Snowball's dog tags.
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| My Ticket Stubs |
My first library card was in that trunk. It was 33 years old, but I can still recall my trips to the library as a kid, especially wandering around the K section in fiction, (Stephen King) like they were yesterday.
I found some of the little drawings of animals my daughter would make for me when she was little. I used to carry my favorites in my wallet. On especially rough waitressing days, I would open my wallet and look at those little drawings.
My 40th birthday crown Becky had given me for winefest weekend was in that trunk. I remember walking around and being treated like a queen by everyone at Winefest. It made turning 40 so much easier.
My little Virginia Slims Black Book, that my aunt Mary gave me, was in that trunk. All my school friends' addresses and phone numbers were neatly written in that book. I miss the 80's so much.
A weirdly shaped stick I found one night while we were sitting around a fire at Jere's, 8 years ago, was in there. I remember pretending I was a pirate with it. I remember getting hysterical when I lost it. My friends helped me find it. We all had a little too much to drink that night.
I found the necklace Chris made me at the Roadhouse. Another night of too much drinking and a lot of pocket change. We were buying toys out of a candy dispenser machine because it was fun. I remember my friends giving me change to put in the little plastic bubbles as tips for me being me. They still had the change in them.
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| Some of my memories |
I found the little bow tie that went to my son's first Easter suit in there. I miss holding both my babies in my arms. They grew way too fast.
I found the business card of my dad's band The Chords from back in the day. The menu of my mother's former catering business was also in there.
Every single thing that I touched, every single thing that I gazed upon, brought back a flood of memories. Memories that felt as if they were only made yesterday. I laughed. I smiled. I cried. I remembered. This collection of mine cost little to no money. This collection of mine may have no real worth on the buyer's market, but to me, it was absolutely priceless. It was a true treasure chest and it was all mine.
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| My Souvenir Patches |
One day I will be gone, and many of the stories behind some of the mementos I have collected will go with me. But while I am still here, I will continue to add to my life collection. And when I have my bad days, days where I feel like I have accomplished nothing, days where I feel absolutely worthless, I will look at my treasures and know, I have accomplished much. I will know I have lived. I will know how blessed I am and how much value my life truly does hold.
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| This is how to live. |
This was one of those moments in life where having a deep, sentimental soul and a sensitive, loving heart was most definitely a blessing and not a curse. Today was a sign. A sign pointing to another sign. A sign I bought 3 1/2 years ago, when I was feeling happy inside and ready for the next decade of my life.
You see, I took this sign down 2 - 2 1/2 years ago. I couldn't look at it anymore. I felt old and hopeless. My self esteem was at an all time low. But, I think it's time to hang this sign back up. I think it is time to live positively and happily again. I'm more than just the reflection in the mirror. I'm more than the amount in my paycheck. I am more than the town I live in. I am inspiring and fascinating. I am me and dammit, I love me!
"Life: Find a passion and pursue it. Fall in love. Dream big. Drink wine. Eat great food and spend quality time with good friends. Laugh everyday. Believe in magic. Tell stories. Reminisce about the good old days but look with optimism to the future. Travel often. Learn more. Be creative. Spend time with people you admire. Seek opportunities when they reveal themselves. Love with all your heart. Never give up. Do what you love. Be true to who you are. Make time to enjoy the simple things in life. Spend time with family. Forgive even when it's hard. Smile often. Be grateful. Be the change you wish to see in the world. Follow your dreams. Try new things. Work hard. Don't count the minutes count the laughs. Embrace change. Trust in yourself. Be thankful. Be nice to everyone. Be happy. Live for today. And above all....make every moment count."
What do you collect?
Why do you collect?
What made you decide to collect the things you do?
Do you remember your first piece?
What inspired you?
Do you take time to appreciate your collections?
Your answers may surprise you.
Chrissy
