I’m a pack rat. I hate clutter. But I still hoard useless objects in my room only because I’m too sentimental about the memories attached to them. I tried to be ruthless in cleaning up my room and getting rid of the knick-knacks that have accumulated over the years, but failed miserably.
Few of the random things that I found while cleaning up my room today:
Several hundred comic books in the storage cabinet under my bed.
An old broken ruler that a guy I’d a momentary crush on in 9th grade had borrowed from me during exams and accidentally broke it. I’ve preserved the broken pieces too! I don’t know why; because I don’t even remember what the guy looked like!
A dozen old t-shirts I know I’ll never fit into. And even if I do, will never have the guts to wear in front of anyone. Think “tweety bird” prints in shocking yellow.
The first baby pillow I slept on.
Sketches I made when I was in kindergarten.
School badges, a library book I forgot to return at the year end.
Hundreds of postcards and greeting cards received over the years.
A set of few miniature animals made of glass. I won them as a prize about a decade back.
The English text book from 6th grade where I first read a concise version of Shakespeare’s plays. That prompted me to start reading the classics.
College year books, few photo albums with some hideous and very embarrassing pictures of mine which I know I’ll never show to anyone.
The Barbie kitchen set I used to play with, tiny pots and pans and a mini oven! My first doll, which has lost one eye and half of her hair over the years.
A pair of oh-so-pretty pumps in black leather that causes shoe-bite marks all over my feet every time I wear them. But they are too pretty to throw or give away.
A Frisbee disc.
A dismantled skeleton inside my cupboard; reminder of my first year in medical college.
Letters, old valentines.
Report cards, every single one of them. I’ve failed only once in a quarterly exam in the fifth grade in my least favorite subject…Hindi. I got 32 out of 100. Passing grade was 40. Shame. Shame.
Old video games.
And yes…even my chemistry set from school.
Dialect of Heart 