Thursday, February 23, 2017

Sentimental Objects


Are you sentimental? Do you save objects from your past as mementos of special times?

I am and I do. In fact, I'm extremely sentimental about my life's experiences because they are the most important things I'll ever have. Let me report from your future that you will become MORE sentimental as you age. I look at objects from my youth and struggle to hold back tears.

I was cleaning out the basement yesterday. I opened boxes that haven't seen light and fresh air in 30-50 years. Wow. What memories they stir. For example, I saved the ceramic knob that was the top to the stick-shift of my first car, which I cradled in my hand when learning how to drive. It's all that's left of my beloved 1964 VW bug. Shortly after I gave the car to my little brother, he totalled it. (He was okay but the car was irreparably wrecked.)

My first job was part-time work as a stock-boy at a women's clothing store named Loehmann's. They sold "Designer Clothing For Less." The store was close to my high school and I walked over after the school-day ended. I chose to keep a few plastic rings that went on clothing racks to indicate dress sizes.

During college, I returned home for Summers and worked delivering auto parts to gas stations. I kept a few matchboxes advertising my employer (Roadside Auto Parts). We had the "2% rule" -- if a customer paid cash, we'd instantly drop the price two percent and nobody paid taxes on the sale.

I could go on. Seeing tangible objects that connect me to my past, now so long ago, touches my heart.

Do you keep objects for sentimental value?

12 comments:

  1. I am absolutely a sentimental person. It makes me jealous that you have a big box of memories like this!

    Mary
    www.marymurnane.com

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  2. I used to collect items like this but found that I couldn't remember where they came from anymore. Ha ha! Oops.

    I have some diaries that I kept of some of my travels that I cherish. They are from another me.

    Sadly when I got married my very jealous new husband made me trash most of them. I regret that as my memories can no longer be trusted.

    I also have quite a few scrapbooks that I've created for my business over the years that I treasure.

    I agree...the older we get the more we cling to our memories of times past.

    bisous
    Suzanne

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  3. I have nothing from the past! Maybe that says enough....But I am very sentimental. Whenever I am in England, I collect stones from the beach and lay it in our garden. So I have a bit of Brittain with me!

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  4. I'm with Suzanne, I am surrounded by objects with stories but their origins escape me. Still, the stories make them richer. I had to move a lot from country to country as a kid, so couldn't keep much. I have one toy from my early teens. xo Jazzy Jack

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  5. I love that you do. And wish I had some thing from my early years, but I just don't. I have saved things for my children through that I think they will treasure , I hope. I love the sizers from the loehmans rounders, and all of your bits from your youth. A great tactile reminder of the earlier days,
    Xx, Elle

    http://www.theellediaries.com/blog/

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  6. I am very sentimental but as I get older have become very realistic about what will happen to all the stuff when I die. As a scrapbooker I add all kinds of things to my scrapbooks. I hope Connor appreciates this one day.

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  7. Awww, I love this <3 And yes. I'm unbelievably sentimental. There are boxes that have been untouched for years, but I know all of the contents. And I look forward to unboxing and spending time with them.

    XOXO

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  8. Yes, this is me - I keep EVERYTHING for sentimental reasons. I feel I am closer to those memories if I hold on to things. In addition to that I also love older items as I think they were made better... so I am kind of like a hoarder ;)

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  9. I tend to save some things but normally I try reuse them so it's both sentimental and useful. I also store a huge pile of used events tickets and badges in a box. Can't get rid of them!

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  10. I keep some things, but usually really small things like what you've got there. And it's got to REALLY mean something to me, you know?

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