Nostalgia

Memory is a funny thing. I can remember the faces of the custodians at my elementary school (and one name!). I can remember the names of all of my teachers back then, and what t-shirt I was wearing in Grade 6 when we made a video for our class pen pals (it was a Beverly Hills 90210 one). And there are a lot of things I can't remember that I wish for desperately.

Now, many of you may know that I am a bit of a hoarder. Speaking with my step-mom about some of my dad's odd behaviours, I know I come by it naturally!! This is my way of retaining physical things that prompt my memories that can't surface naturally. I cling to those moments of remembering, and they are more important to me than so many other things. Nostalgia is a powerful feeling.

I was cleaning out some boxes in my basement full of stuff that never made it upstairs with the rest of my scrapbooking stuff. In some of these boxes are what I like to call "memorabilia", things I can't bear to throw out in case I lose the memory associated with that item.

Things like, pieces of scrap paper with random notes written on. Brochures from travel destinations. Bookmarks from a childhood Reading Fair. Receipts, ticket stubs, stationary sets, you name it.

I want to share some of them with you.

This first item is a collage of photos. My friend Cheryl made this for me for my 18th birthday I think. She made one of these for all of our friends that year. It's covered in precious high school memories.

Halloween party at Sarah's house. Celebrating Ashley's 18th birthday at her house, drinking cola with Scott. Grad ceremony and party. Hanging out at Andrea's after the grad party. Camping that summer at Michelon Lake.

I am still friends with most of these people. We see each other a handful of times in a year and it is not enough.

 A clown stationary set I got from an aunt. I didn't want to just use it to write letters on and give them away...it was considered too precious. I wrote lists of books I wanted to read on some of the pages. I also cut out every "recommended reading" article I could find in magazines. The bookmark is possibly from one of those Reading Fairs we use to have at Menisa, where you could buy new books or bookmarks right from the group that set up in the library. My love of reading started early.

My University of Alberta ID card. Up until a couple of years ago, I still remembered my ID#. The password I gave myself to access the UofA net is still the one I use today (with a few security additions). My Kindergarten "yearbook" and photo. Dad painstakingly printed the names of all my classmates in under their photo. When he got up to take a break, I grabbed the book and wrote in my own name. We forgot it was "picture day" that morning, so I was just wearing a regular school outfit, nothing fancy. I look like Lucas (no smile!)

Do you other Canucks remember two-dollar bills! I keep things with my grandparents writing on it. Birthday cards, notes, letters, anything I can find. I already cherish those things, and I know that when they pass I will cherish them even more. This note is from my Dad. It's a typical dad note. His nickname is Skye because he was born in Montana: Big Sky Country.

Do you hold on to things? Are you a nostalgia junkie like myself?