The things that I keep

mementos, maps, tickets, postcards, pens and memories

Zachary Kadolph - Unsplash

I have a mug in my house with the words printed on it ‘wish it, dream it, do it’ that is filled with an assortment of pens that I have collected over many years from various places. Some are ones that I have brought and others are from hotel rooms I have stayed in. I have always loved collecting a pen from a hotel room, I have a pen from the Novotel in St Kilda, which marks the first time I stayed in Melbourne. I also have a pen from the Garland Hotel in Los Angeles, and a pen from the Hermitage Hotel in New Zealand, both of which remind me of a four month travel trip I did years ago. They have all run out of ink, but I can’t bear to throw them away as they are mementos of times past, and they bring back a lot of happy memories.

I have always been one to collect things when I am away, or if I particularly enjoy an experience I try to pick up a postcard or object that reminds me of that time. I have coasters, plane tickets, maps, leaflets, park tickets, receipts, birthday cards, and theatre and cinema tickets from times gone by. I even have a car parking ticket that I brought back in 2015 that I used when I visited the Santa Monica Pier to ride the Ferris wheel.

I have a pine cone table setting from a Thanksgiving dinner I attended last year, and a silk flower corsage from my friend's wedding sat on one of my bookshelves. I also have cashout vouchers from the Caesars Palace and Stratosphere casinos, which remind me of running around Las Vegas and being on a party bus (the last place you would normally find me!) they make me smile and remind me that I can also be an extrovert from time to time.

I have several keepsake boxes stuffed full to the brim and when I look through them, the items take me straight back to the moment where they came from. These little objects are time portals. In one box I have a map of New Zealand that has been drawn and written on with advice on where to go on a campervan tour. It was collected in Rotorua after speaking to some locals who advised us on the best route to take. In another, I have a theatre ticket for Grease that goes back to 2011, when my friend and I surprised our friend for her 21st birthday, and a cork from a bottle of champagne that was popped many Christmases ago.

I often wonder why I collect these things and hold onto them for so long, I think it is a mixture of nostalgia and sentimental value that causes me to do it. I keep things to remind me of experiences that have brought me happiness, and some are also markers of certain times in my life. I have a dog-eared paper tracklist of songs from the last hospital radio programme I presented before I moved to London to pursue a job in my mid-twenties. Whenever I look it at, it brings back memories of the wonderful volunteers that I worked with, who were all so supportive and kind. It also reminds me that I can have the courage to do anything, as radio presenting was something I wanted to do for a long time and this experience was a really meaningful time for me.

These objects are important as they are parts of my personal history. They also link me back to the people who I shared the experience with and as some of them are not here anymore, it makes them especially treasured. With so many things now being recorded digitally, having a physical object to hold and anchor you to a memory seems especially important as a portal to the past. The things that I keep remind me of who I am and also bring a nostalgic energy that is comforting. I will continue to collect things as they make up the story of me and my journey through life.

Do you collect items that are important or have meaning in your life? Do you keep things like tickets, pens, or something else? Do you have items or objects that are really important to you?