The Memory Reaper

After I posted my previous blog entry "Not-So-Accidental Tourist", I made a rare trip down to our lower ground floor to dig up some of the trinkets I've saved from my earlier journeys. After deftly dodging boxes and luggages from falling on me, I felt triumphant upon finding the plastic container where I stored my souvenir thimbles. As I inspected each one of them, a few memories from those jaunts came to mind and they just made me smile. Those were the days when all my friends and I wanted to do was to explore and get away from the bleak work situation we found ourselves in.

As I glanced around the chaotic basement, I can't help but notice and ruminate at how much "junk" I have accumulated over the years. When I left the Philippines in 1994, I only brought one suitcase with me but when I relocated to another apartment a year later, it took a couple of trips and a hired help to transfer all my belongings. Ever since then, I seem to have amassed more, courtesy of the many needless shopping sprees and bargain hunts. Everytime I moved, it took a lot more time and sweat. Fortunately, I sent some of the "surplus" to my family via balikbayan boxes or there would have been more to lug around.

One thing that also helped was practicing the yearly spring cleaning which prompted me to eliminate objects that were not essential or functional anymore. Living in a two-bedroom apartment, I realized how scarce storage spaces can be. To keep my domicile in order, I adhered to the rule of divesting myself of items that had not been used in the past two or three years. It was quite testing when it came to clothes though. I had a tendency to retain them longer than I should even if they didn't fit me anymore in the off chance that the latest fad diet will work and I can wear them again. The garments eventually found their way into the balikbayan box when they were deemed so out-of-season (to my sisters' benefit and delight, of course). It also became the perfect excuse for further retail therapy, I'd say.

It's amazing how some people can cling on to their material possessions so vigorously. I do understand keeping those articles when there are memories and strong emotions affixed to them. Although I have stopped collecting thimbles, I still keep them around since they are aide-mémoires of those fun-filled excursions with my friends. Nevertheless, I've been to a few houses that are overwhelmingly cluttered with a multitude of knick-knacks that one may think the inhabitants might be pack rats, a slang term that refer to people who collect miscellaneous items and has trouble getting rid of them (a compulsive hoarder). If you've seen the TV show "Clean House", you'd be appalled at how people are so desperately drowning in disarray. I can't envisage living in such anarchy but I know first hand how it can escalate to that level if no one will put the kibosh on it.

When I visited my family for the first time after four years of being away, I had a bit of a shock when I perused through all the assorted array of dusty Nescafe glasses, tattered school books, outdated newspapers/magazines, cob-webbed crib/bassinet and other baby paraphernalia that populated every nook and cranny of my parents' abode. I don't believe my folks to be serial hoarders but their house was obviously besieged with things from the past and was just begging to be purged.

The whole scene perturbed me so much that on the last day of my vacation, I launched an impromptu general house cleaning with my father as an accomplice. It resulted to a huge bonfire at the back yard. My mother and grandmother were clearly mortified and tried to dissuade me from pitching everything out due to a variety of sentimental reasons. I tried to keep my resolve but compromised on a few instances when I gleaned my mother being distraught and teary-eyed. I realized I was being very hard-nosed about it. I admittedly shoved a huge plate of tough love down their throats but they were ultimately pleased and relieved with the outcome. As a result, the house was freed up with more room for things of value and consequence. I guess I gave them a crash course on spring cleaning but they sure learned it well. So far, I have not done any clean-up of that magnitude ever again during my subsequent visits.

During our life time, we gather a lot of memorabilia along the way. A few of these multifarious objects have earned a proud place on the mantel and curio cabinets while some are too precious or private and are better kept hidden or under lock and key. A number of them are pretty mundane and have become part of our daily lives. Some of our keepsake magnets are prominently displayed on the fridge but are also useful in keeping reminders (appointment cards, work schedule, invitations) in place. Kenny regularly utilizes the coffee mugs that he bought during our travels. As for me, I like to wear such tokens just like a couple of my favorite sweatshirts. One was from Disneyworld where Kenny and I got engaged and the other was from Grand Cayman where we spent our honeymoon. Yep, I'm pretty schmaltzy that way.

Anyway, how about you? What mementos have you treasured and kept? What do you usually collect? Feel free to share them and if you have a blog post about it, leave the link in the comment section as well. I'd be happy to check it out.

Comments

[eleanor]

hey Rose, I just read this blog and guess what, since I arrived in the Philippines 5 days ago, I have been throwing a lot of accumulated stuff and junks and papers over the years to my father's dismay (but Mama was delighted). My father puts sentiment in almost anything and my mother was just telling me the other day how angry Papa was when he learned that Mama burned the huge divider that my father and I built when I was still in college. Teary-eyed, he told my Mama that it was the last project we did together when I was single. That gave me a pinch in my heart and I know you knew how it felt like...but then again, we do really have to let go of a lot of things to make way for a better life. Love your blogs as always!

[Evangeline]

Hi Rose,
We just moved and the amount of stuff we've acumulated was unbelievable!!which resulted in me sending x3 superjumbo boxes back to the Phil..My relies should have them by the end of this month..Just In time for Christmas!!As always,love ur blogs!

[annette]

rose, i remember my grandma before when she sewed by hand. she would use thimble and i have forgotten all about this thingy. it's a nice thing for you to collect a lot of souvenirs. i'm not so good at that. i love to travel but i never collect souvenirs.

[AJ MaO'Brn]

There is life ahead thats why we always accumulate stuffs. From time to time we may never acknowledge the where and whats and in due time cannot believe how much we got over the years.

Right now especially my white monkey loves flea market, I make sure I empty my closet, and thats right my balikbayan boxes are full of goodies they can always use.

Dont you notice also, whatever we collected over the span of time, we always remember where and the memories that comes to it. For pictures I always have dates at the back and name of friends, my figurines has it too, not only that, my table, chair or whatever I bought and keep around the house has dates hidden under it.