Keepsakes

Keepsakes or rather "things" at times may be seen only as tangible objects that can easily be broken or destroyed. Individuals sometimes look down upon a worn out doll or a beaten up baseball glove because they no longer have any purpose or use. They sit on a shelf collecting dust and serve as hourglasses to show how much time has passed. Keepsakes are much more than the stereotypes bestowed upon them, they are memories of times that once were and offer a free smile when life can at times be cruel. Each keepsake is part of one's story.

Earlier this evening while watching a documentary with my dad about his favorite football team, he would blurt out things here and there that would remind him of something from years past or how he had a certain item that is considered "historical" to the football world. It may not have been my "thing" per say, but I understood what he meant by having certain keepsakes because they serve as a representation of an event or time that is unable to be brought back.

When arriving to our seats at my first Barry concert, we were left two 5 x7 ads promoting Barry's then new Christmas CD, "In the Swing of Christmas." It has always puzzled me how I saved those two small ads though I was not a fan in anyway. Perhaps I kept them for my friend or wanted to make an entry in my life story. Either way, I stuck them in my bag and over a year and a half later one still hangs up on my magnetic board as a reminder of that night and one is in my scrapbook of life along with my ticket stub. Though they may just be pieces of paper that can be ripped as easily as one breathes, they serve as keepsakes of a night I did not realize would change my life.

Over time I have collected far more meaningful and valuable keepsakes such as the Barry autograph I got in person or the photo of Barry shaking my hand, but sometimes it's those small reminders that make you stop and remember just why you're a Barry Manilow fan.