I had the pleasure today of hosting Cub Scout Pack 815 Den #9 Wolf Cubs from Greenbrook Elementary School in Danville, led by Dan Chevez, Elizabeth Donohue and Cheryl Burns. The topic for the scout meeting was "Collecting", so it sure made sense to have the meeting here in FLYING COLORS. I showed off some of my old baseball cards and comics, and I hopefully got across that collecting is a lot more about FUN than it is about making money later. When that outlook is fully embraced---by the collector and by those close to the collector--- everyone comes away happier for the experience.
I learned the great pleasure of havng a hobby from my Dad who was an avid stamp collector. When I was about the age of the Cub Scouts I met today, Dad tried his best to get me into stamp collecting, and I was into it for only a short while. One of the things all parents learn along the way is that kids have a way of finding their own areas of interest. Some of those interests will intersect with those of our parents---my love of baseball sure came from my Dad. Some of those interests will make parents scratch their heads, too. Rocks? Bottle Caps? Yu-Gi-Oh cards? C-c-c-c-comic Books? You betcha!
Just kids' stuff, right? Well, no, not at all!
Being a collector is all about finding something fun to pursue--- it's as primal as the early humans hunting and gathering and then showing off their stuff to the others back in the cave. In his recent book "Rejuvenile", Christopher Noxon said "The culture of childhood brims with qualities - wonder, adventure, absurdity, make-believe - in short supply in the adult world."
Or, as I've been putting for years: "The reason people can get so goofy about their collections and their hobbies, is to keep from going crazy about things in general."
Keep it fun, y'all!
Peace!
FlyCoJoe
No comments:
Post a Comment