The latest research says collectors live longer than non-collectors. Apparently it doesn't matter what you collect. What is important is that you're always on the hunt.
I've long been a collector: china, teapots, salt cellars, antique furniture, china, teapots, vintage beaded bags, handheld mirrors, china, teapots, ephemera, cameos, china, teapots, old tins, linens, china and...teapots.
But now, due to economics, the fact that my home has no basement (a fundamental problem with the state of Florida), and with the thought of dusting increasingly becoming the most abhorrent of tasks...well, I've chosen to cease most of my collecting activities.
So now I wonder how this living longer thing really works. Is there a formula such as x amount of collectibles squared = y longevity? If you collected actively (or relentlessly) until your late 40's, is it safe to stop? Will you still be ahead in the life expectancy game? If you collect something particularly large, can you collect less of it and still earn those extended twilight years?
Does it matter if you collect particularly useless items for which no real hunt is required? I'm taken back to a Girl Scout mom I knew in Oregon who collected McDonalds toys. Can driving to McDonalds be considered a true hunt? Can her reaching into her Happy Meal bag to pull out whatever fatuous bibelot of the month McDonald's offers be called collecting? I've often had to drive for an hour or more and bring basic necessities such as snacks and sweet tea when adding to my own valuable vintage collections. It hardly seems fair if this woman should get to live longer than myself.
I've long been a collector: china, teapots, salt cellars, antique furniture, china, teapots, vintage beaded bags, handheld mirrors, china, teapots, ephemera, cameos, china, teapots, old tins, linens, china and...teapots.
But now, due to economics, the fact that my home has no basement (a fundamental problem with the state of Florida), and with the thought of dusting increasingly becoming the most abhorrent of tasks...well, I've chosen to cease most of my collecting activities.
So now I wonder how this living longer thing really works. Is there a formula such as x amount of collectibles squared = y longevity? If you collected actively (or relentlessly) until your late 40's, is it safe to stop? Will you still be ahead in the life expectancy game? If you collect something particularly large, can you collect less of it and still earn those extended twilight years?
Does it matter if you collect particularly useless items for which no real hunt is required? I'm taken back to a Girl Scout mom I knew in Oregon who collected McDonalds toys. Can driving to McDonalds be considered a true hunt? Can her reaching into her Happy Meal bag to pull out whatever fatuous bibelot of the month McDonald's offers be called collecting? I've often had to drive for an hour or more and bring basic necessities such as snacks and sweet tea when adding to my own valuable vintage collections. It hardly seems fair if this woman should get to live longer than myself.
As I've yet to learn the details of this study and I do, indeed, plan to live a long life, I think I'll continue to collect one thing - only as a safety net mind you. My vintage postcards. After all, they're relatively inexpensive, virtually dust free, and have minimal storage requirements. They're an easy bit of insurance.
And, to be honest, I just don't think I can stop anyway.
Love your stories and bits of wisdom. You definitely have a lust for life and it's many offerings. Stay curious, enjoy the lizard carcuses and keep drinking that tea.
ReplyDeleteLife is too short to miss a beat. Whenever you feel down or negative in any way, just smile. It's an istant healer.
Keep writing. You bring me joy Barbra
How timely your entry is today for me! I am dealing with some changes in my own life, and you give me courage to turn loose of somethings. My collecting has been tins,hats, tea pots, tea cups, and a few odd things like knife rests and glass swizzle sticks here and there.
ReplyDeleteI love the picture you posted. The dark pink tea pot sticks out to me. Does it have a speical story or history? Is it an old family piece or just a find? cm
My husband is going to live FOREVER if this turns out to be true.....sister
ReplyDeleteBookie, That dark tea pot is only a find. But it's gorgeous, isn't it? I've a pink shelf.
ReplyDelete