forest_choir | Writer's Block: Collect 'em all

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Oh, I've collected all sorts of things.

As a child, I collected stamps and seashells.
They were small, free, and could be put away in boxes to keep my room tidy.

As a young twenty-something with a job, I collected antique printings of my favourite poetry books. A high school literature teacher had turned me on to some of the writers and I discovered others on my own. I also collected art prints - Thomas Canty, Michael Whelan, and Robert Gould, mostly. Gorgeous fantastical images.

In my thirties, I collected music CDs and television series on DVD.

Now, in my early forties, I've realised how damned much STUFF I own and am cutting back. I'm giving outdated things to Goodwill or chucking them in the bin. I still have a sizeable book collection. I've begun acquiring copies of books I read and loved as a child. (My family couldn't afford to buy books, so everything came from the library. I always wished I could go back and read those books again...) I still have the prints, music, and DVDs. But I have become much more selective about what I buy.
I have binned the stamp collection and put the seashells in a safe place.
I still enjoy them.

Recently, I have begun collecting heart-shaped objects - rocks, wood, shells - worn into the familar shapes by wind and water. I love their colours and textures. And I treasure the quiet days spent finding them - out in nature - walking along the ocean or swimming in mountain streams.