I'm a Collector

When I was a kid, I collected things. Clarification: I collected EVERYTHING. Marbles. Stickers. Bugs. Paint samples. Keychains. Decks of cards. Rocks. Shells. Petrified wood. Hourglasses. Mini glass/ceramic animals. Micro Machines. Hotwheels. Legos. Money. Dice. Yeah, everything.

I just loved collecting things and seeing the fascinating array in my motley menagerie. It wasn't that I had any special plans for each and every one. I didn't play with my paint samples. But when I was little, I would fan out my prized paint samples and marvel at the array of color before me. I would turn over all of my hourglasses and egg timers and follow the grains of sand as they journeyed downward, wondering at how unique each hourglass was, no two the same pace, no two the same behavior. I would take out my Micro Machines and splay out a cityscape with dozens of different citizens, some busily running their errands, others enjoying a leisurely meal or scenic drive, and of course the occasionally inevitable and disastrous twenty car pile-up, complete with screaming and explosions.

My rocks were probably the biggest collection. I didn't play with them, per se. I didn't often get them out and arrange them in any particular way. But I liked checking on them. Looking at the amazing diversity mined out of the earth. Wondering where each came from, what it had seen, what made it the way it was. Treasuring each one for its uniqueness. For the part it held in the whole. For the dab it was in the mosaic of geology. And of course, there were always a few rocks, or colors, or Micro Machines, that I spent the most time with. Sometimes, my old favorites slipped into the background when new favorites came along, but I always valued them as having a special place in the collection, even if I didn't play with them or marvel at them as much anymore.

Most of my collections are now tucked away or dispersed into other homes or landfills. I now have other collections. Corals. Clothes. Gems. DVDs. Books. Knowledge. Wisdom. Insight. And sometimes, I just look over my DVDs and remember what each one taught me or made me feel. My corals make up a fascinating ecosystem. When I buy a new shirt, I like to hang it with my others and see how the wardrobe is now slightly different, new, refreshed. When I hear a new insight on life, I find where it fits into my collection and tuck it in.

Admittedly, most of my longest and closest friendships are not represented on MySpace. Still, there's something about every person on my friends list that I remember: something I like about you, something you taught me, something we've shared, a connection we've made, a common goal or task. Sometimes it's powerful, sometimes casual. Some relationships have been complex and pivotal, some refreshingly simple.

I just sometimes need a reminder that maybe a person's most meaningful collection is positive relationships.

The really unique thing about this collection: it's incredibly dynamic. Even when old acquaintances slip into the background, they're always changing, and so are you, and you never know when you might be brought back together or swept apart. But regardless, it's a collection you take with you.

OK so maybe it's not profound or new, but I I figured was worth writing. OK enough lounging, I'm gonna go get sweaty and buff.