JUNK
or JUNQUE SAVED BY DESIGN or JUST BECAUSE
© Bill Dickinson January 31, 2012
When
my wife Barbara and I first discussed this assignment I was under the
impression that there wasn’t much of anything saved to inspire a
memoir. Then she started in on a long list of articles that are in
drawers and hanging on the wall in my work area. Barb said that I
should be able to pick any object and have memories attached to it
from when it was used or saved after the last project.
Well
I went back there and began to look around –it took a while because
everything I saw had a reason to be there for use in household
maintenance, including the empty boxes from recently installed
appliances and other items that hold warranty information required
for possible return or claim.
Then
I started going thru some file drawers under the bottom shelf of the
storage for my hardware and plumbing stuff. These drawers hold
records and historical items that I haven’t looked at for decades.
The
first items found were graduation folders presented to Barb and I
when we completed Straling Leadership and Pastoral Ministry courses.
The SLI certificate reminded me of our trip to Israel which we
departed on just days after graduation. That trip was 13 days of
total immersion into the time of Christ and the Roman/ Jewish era of
that time in history. In addition our guide during the tour gave us a
fair amount of political and historical thinking of the people of
Israel during the period from 1964 thru 1988 while we were there.
The
next drawer I looked in was full of military records. I even have my
medical records which I received upon my retirement discharge in
1974! What in the world can I ever do with those at this time in my
life? The next drawer I opened was the most fun.
I
found my high school senior year book with my athletic letter and
other school items from later education efforts. Buried under the
documents was a slide rule that I used for math and engineering
classes in the 50s. Last but not least is an MB-2A hand held
circular slide rule that I had to use to plot courses and flight
plans before the world of computers and current GPS technology. It
kind of made me think back on how Columbus felt when he had to
navigate with handmade charts and stars and instruments. Thanks to
technology advances the ability to get from point A to point B is now
just a push of a few buttons. Now all we have to do is pray to God
that we use the brain for something other than has been displayed by
recent disasters on the sea and air lanes
The last drawer I
looked into had Barb’s “American Judo” magazine archives. I’ll
let her share about that time in her life. But, I looked at the
collection with pride for her and the fact that she contributed to
the advancement of the sport of Women’s Judo and Judo in general
with her efforts as Editor of that magazine.
So why do we save these
objects of our personal history? I don’t really know but it seems
to be something learned or maybe even partially innate. It is
especially mind boggling to me because I never considered myself a
saver or much of anything. Lately (last few years) I have been
giving my coin collections and misc jewelry like cuff links away to
other family members and asking them if there was anything else they
wanted.
However, now that I
have re-acquainted myself with the historical artifacts of my youth I
feel maybe I should add another room on to the house so that Barb and
I can call it our museum. We all know that won’t happen but it’s
fun thinking about—and now we know the title answer – it was
saved “Just Because” and not “By Design” and I am happy
about the fact that it is memory productive JUNQUE.
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