I never really had a hobby growing up. Everyone around me did.
There were stamp-collectors, back in the day when snail-mail was the only way to communicate.
There were coin-collectors, sticker-collectors, scrap-book makers and all other sorts of collections that needed plenty of time-investment and care to make sure they were kept on pristine condition, in the hope that one day, they’d be worth something, be it in the monetary form or just memories created and relived.
I figured I had to get myself one of those. Hobbies, that is.
It’s all very vague as to how and when it started. My choice of collection? Matchboxes. They seemed easy enough. They were everywhere. And they cost me nothing to get. I’d pick them up from restaurants, bars, clubs and anywhere that had them. I got friends that travelled to pick them up for me too. It was the easiest way to see the world without going anywhere. I have boxes from countries and cities I’ve never even been to, and probably never will.
And when I started jet-setting myself, I’d grab a box or two, anytime I could remember, or anytime I’d see one. It’s a little harder now with the no-smoking laws that are sweeping the globe. Not many establishments see the point in putting their brand on something that they can’t really display anymore.
Before I knew it, I had a substantial collection of nearly 500 boxes. All sitting in a sturdy plastic box. And for years, they just sat there. And for years, they also sat in the back of my mind …. trying to figure out what to do with them.
And one day, recently, it dawned on me. After they had been sitting in that box for close to 15 years, I realised I had to display them. Proudly. The wall along my stairs was looking kind of naked. And so I decided I should dress her up … along with my vast matchbox collection.
Just like the boxes had been hidden away for many years, so had the memories. And opening that box brought back some great ones. It was like smelling a familiar scent or recognising a tune from years gone by ….. I had flashbacks of people and places, friendships and faces, music and laughter. It was a lovely trip down memory lane.
And so, I went and purchased two shadow boxes. The depth of a shadow box would allow me to display the boxes of various size, length and thickness. And with my creative and artistic mother, worked on arranging the collection. Some of the matchboxes were so old that the sulphur on the tips had disintegrated. But I wasn’t trying to display the matches, just their covers, and so it didn’t really matter. With some double-sided tape, coloured paper and two pairs of eyes, we proudly completed the project.
And here is the end result:
If you have a collection of something lying around and long-forgotten, it may be the right time to think about what to do with it. After all, it’s a passion that once burned bright. It might bring a smile to your face and jog some pleasant memories.
Love & Light and all things bright …
xxxA