From time to time, I have written about "Voluntary Simplicity," and my typically half-hearted attempts at making life simpler by getting rid of a lot of the "stuff" around us.
Meanwhile, I also have to admit that I am a "collector," who was born to collecting parents, who came from families of collectors.
Doesn't quite seem like those two go together very well, does it?
Yesterday, I wrote about my experience of sorting through someone else's "collection" of postage stamps and what relates to that... and one of the things that struck me in that process and really hit home was that crucial difference between collecting and simply hoarding.
Although it was confined to six large plastic bins, the "stuff" I spent a couple of days sifting through was pretty much hoarding, not collecting.
So what's the difference?
My impression of what I just went through felt like an example of a person who simply bought every stamp album and every stamp collection they came across and would then stick it on a shelf without ever really doing anything further with it.
Similarly, there was a lot of "loose stuff" that all had in common the theme of "postage stamps," but it was just a random jumble of envelopes with loose stamps, with no discernable purpose or organization.
"Collecting," at least to me, suggests some sort of purpose and a sense of organization sufficient for the Collector to know what they have and what they don't have so they don't needlessly duplicate a bunch of stuff.
Which is not to say that your approach might not be like my own has been: I buy collections and estate lots, sort through them to get things I like/need... but then I get rid of the rest I don't need.
"Collecting," to me, also implies that you have enough interest in whatever you're collecting that you study it — at least to a minimal degree — so you know something about it. That's part of the fun and enjoyment of collecting!
But let's get back to the "main event," for a moment: Being a collector while also keeping a simple lifestyle.
The two definitely can work together... but only to the extent that you are an actual collector, rather than a hoarder.
I have had the experience of being in a number of "hoarder houses" in my life, and I have known several hoarders personally... and it is definitely not pretty, and there's absolutely no simplicity in the lifestyle of a hoarder.
I have also met many dedicated "collectors" of all sort of things in my life, and many of them have actually been extremely organized and even somewhat minimalistic in the sense that the sum total of their various collections were were clearly and neatly contained within a defined bookcase or two, or display cabinets or whatever.
In other words, collecting doesn't have to mean chaos!
For example, one of my cousins in Denmark was a passionate collector of Chinese inside painted snuff bottles, but whereas his collection was definitely impressive and extensive, it my no means threatened to take over his relatively simple house, being neatly contained in two simple glass front cabinets and a drawer unit originally designed to store maps.
Anyway, part of my purpose of writing this post was also as a "bookmark" to myself that going through the six bins of stamps was a poignant reminder that it is time for me to go through some of my own collections and get rid of any excess... I collect things, I don't hoard them, and I still aspire to simplicity in our lives!
Thanks for reading, and have a great remainder of your week!
How about YOU? Do you think collecting and simplicity can live side-by-side? Comments, feedback and other interaction is invited and welcomed! Because — after all — SOCIAL content is about interacting, right? Leave a comment — share your experiences — be part of the conversation!
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Created at 20220202 23:32 PST
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