A Bit Like Hector, I Suppose

Hector the Collector
Collected bits of string,
Collected dolls with broken heads
And rusty bells that would not ring.
Pieces out of picture puzzles,
Bent-up nails and ice-cream sticks,
Twists of wires, worn-out tires,
Paper bags and broken bricks.
Old chipped vases, half shoelaces,
Gatlin' guns that wouldn't shoot,
Leaky boats that wouldn't float
And stopped-up horns that wouldn't toot.
Butter knives that had no handles,
Copper keys that fit no locks,
Rings that were too small for fingers,
Dried-up leaves and patched-up socks.
Worn-out belts that had no buckles,
'Lectric trains that had no tracks,
Airplane models, broken bottles,
Three-legged chairs and cups with cracks.
Hector the Collector
Loved these things with all his soul.
Loved them more than shining diamonds,
Loved them more than glistenin' gold.
Hector called to all the people,
"Come and share my treasure trunk!"
And all the silly sightless people
Came and looked...and called it junk.

- Shel Silverstein

This was one of my favorite childhood poems. I loved thinking about Hector and all his treasures, how much joy and value he saw in the humblest of objects; and it made me just the kind of sad I sometimes like to be to think about the people who just didn't understand - how much they were missing out on!

I don't really consider myself a collector, I don't have collections just for the sake of collecting. But I am lucky to be surrounded by things that I love, things that tell a story to me, things that remind me of things I like to be reminded of - simple, humble objects that bring me joy.

A quick jaunt around with a camera reveals just a few:


I suppose these things might in another person's life found their way into a collection. But here, they and their stories are one-of-a-kind, which makes me love them all the more.