Collections…
It's a weird trait humans have, collecting things. People collect stamps, coins, bottle caps, comic books and all manner of other things. Anything that can be had, most likely will be collected by someone. Whatever you can think of is probably being collected by someone right this very moment.
I know that over the years, I have had numerous collections of things. Although, they have mostly been disbanded or scattered by lack of care for the idea any more. Normally, I am more pack-rattish. It just seems to be in my nature to develop unintentional collections of things, like past due bills, old magazines and shoeboxes. (You never do know when you're going to need to mail something.)
The other day while I was cleaning out our back bedroom, I discovered the one remaining collection that I have- my hat collection. I have lots of hats. My dad started me on it when I was about 8, because he said I looked good in hats so he bought me a train conductors hat. The collection is now divided fairly evenly among me and my dad. Between the two of us we have about 30 hats, which are mostly novelty hats. I seem to have gotten the more practical ones of the collection though, because I do have a few that I use on a fairly regular basis.
I have never really had the desire to collect much more than that on a material level. More than anything, I have found myself going through life openly collecting people. I like people. I truly do. I hate being around them for extended periods of time, but I love people.
We are such a fascinating race of monkey-folk, it is hard for me to resist diving headlong into people's stories, lives and what they are made of. Mostly though, you find they are all the same, like a hand full of dimes. But, then… ah, yes, then sometimes you find that person who is comparable to finding the upside-down plane stamp. That's what makes it worth it.
So, I collect hats and people. Oh, and I have one Beanie Baby- but that's more of an investment than a collection.
What do you collect, if anything? If you collect stuff, why do you do it? And if you don't, how come you don't gather things and horde them away like the rest of us?
I know that over the years, I have had numerous collections of things. Although, they have mostly been disbanded or scattered by lack of care for the idea any more. Normally, I am more pack-rattish. It just seems to be in my nature to develop unintentional collections of things, like past due bills, old magazines and shoeboxes. (You never do know when you're going to need to mail something.)
The other day while I was cleaning out our back bedroom, I discovered the one remaining collection that I have- my hat collection. I have lots of hats. My dad started me on it when I was about 8, because he said I looked good in hats so he bought me a train conductors hat. The collection is now divided fairly evenly among me and my dad. Between the two of us we have about 30 hats, which are mostly novelty hats. I seem to have gotten the more practical ones of the collection though, because I do have a few that I use on a fairly regular basis.
I have never really had the desire to collect much more than that on a material level. More than anything, I have found myself going through life openly collecting people. I like people. I truly do. I hate being around them for extended periods of time, but I love people.
We are such a fascinating race of monkey-folk, it is hard for me to resist diving headlong into people's stories, lives and what they are made of. Mostly though, you find they are all the same, like a hand full of dimes. But, then… ah, yes, then sometimes you find that person who is comparable to finding the upside-down plane stamp. That's what makes it worth it.
So, I collect hats and people. Oh, and I have one Beanie Baby- but that's more of an investment than a collection.
What do you collect, if anything? If you collect stuff, why do you do it? And if you don't, how come you don't gather things and horde them away like the rest of us?