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The Battalion
Page 3 • Friday, November 2 i,
One man’s trash
Unused und forgotten keepsakes hold special places in students’ hearts
By Tori Foster
THE BATTALION
m
two diffe When Courtney Flatt visits her parents she remembers a world
oefore she was an independent college student. Her old bedroom it is
yA&M’sck "died with many things indicative of a life before college. Some of the
nost important items lie upon a window sill next to her bed. The win-
fthenewpi iowsill is the home to a collection of miniature perfume bottles her
g efforts ft grandmother has given her over the years.
Though this collection may seem insignificant to other observers,
hese items hold a great amount of sentimental value to Flatt. Many
icople like Flatt may be criticized and labeled ‘p ac k rats,’ but within
he clutter lies some of the owners’ most valuable possessions. These
terns may have little monetary value, but the value each item has is
ieen through the eyes of the beholder.
“They are important to me because they remind me of my grand-
nother and all of the wonderful times 1 spent with her,” said Flatt, a
lophomore journalism major. “I cherish those memories, and I guess
he bottles just have sentimental value to me.”
When Flatt’s grandmother began to give her the samples, she did-
’t know how important they would become to her. Some of the per-
bme bottles are cracked and empty, but Flatt said she cannot bring her-
lelf to discard any of the bottles.
“It makes me feel special that my grandmother would think of me,”
M said. “They just remind me of how much she loved me and how
much 1 loved her.”
After Flatt’s grandmother died two years ago, Flatt went to clean
>w her grandmother's house. She found several samples of perfume
hat her grandmother had been intending to give her.
think that the memories attached to certain objects are what keep
ed an(hjl )eo P le f rom throwing them away,” Flatt said. “It’s not that people will
in enthiK ose the memories if they get rid of their collections, it’s that the col
lie loved! ect ions are pleasant reminders of the memories
fiavefefi; ’ Even though many closets and storage bins are filled with child-
was soraeif: 10 °d blankets, things given by loved ones or even old birthday cards,
ill these possessions contain importance to the owners
During hunting season, Konnie Schoenfeld, her brother and grand-
father would travel to their ranch in Mason, Texas. During these hunt-
ng trips, Schoenfeld and her grandfather began to accumulate minia-
ure condiments from ‘Meals Ready to Eat’ kits (MREs) that her
pandfather had gotten from the military.
“1 started collecting these when 1 was about 7,” said Schoenfeld, a
reshman biomedical sciences major. “I never really cared much for
lie condiments, but I thought the bottles were too neat to throw away.”
Schoenfeld’s grandfather had several friends in the military, so
ifR.Es were never a shortage for the grandchildren. The collection of
anWi ondiments ranges from ketchup, mustard, relish, Tabasco sauce and
weet and sour sauce.
“My grandfather woitld give them to my brother and I,” Schoenfeld
said. “We weren’t sure why he would bring them but we liked the idea
of eating army food, even though we had plenty of other food to eat.”
Seven years after her grandfather’s death from cancer, Schoenfeld
said she still clings to the condiments and the special value they hold
for her. Schoenfeld made a shadow box that hangs above her bed at her
parents’ house for the collection.
“I’ve thought of throwing them away several times, but now that my
grandfather has passed away I just can’t bring myself to get rid of
them,” Schoenfeld said. “I wouldn’t even think of moving the shadow
box for fear that they would break.”
While Schoenfeld does keep things that would seem like trash to
other people, she said she tries to limit the items to things of senti
mental value.
“Most people think the condiments are neat, probably because they
qualify more as collectibles than some of the other random possessions
people might keep,” Schoenfeld said. “They are pretty much priceless
because MREs aren’t really made with mini condiments like those
anymore. They are also priceless to me because my grandfather gave
them to me, and we were very close.”
While many people keep things to remind them of loved one
who have died, some people say they keep things to remind
them of joyful times spent with friends.
During elementary school, Andrea Stryk, a sophomore agricul
tural development major, would spend her time on a ranch where her
best friend’s father was foreman. The ranch was owned by an older
man named Mr. O’Connor who had moved into town.
During one summer, the two girls decided to explore the older
man’s garage. After digging through boxes Stryk found an old khaki
derby hat and a baby blue clip-on bowtie. Now in college, Stryk is still
unable to part with the old clothing.
“These items are now important to me because Melissa was my
first best friend and just to glance at them reminds me of the fun and
crazy things we would do on the ranch,” Stryke said. “We always
found ourselves in the middle of mischief no matter how much we
tried not to.”
Even though she keeps the hat and bowtie in the attic at
home, she said she won’t think about disposing the pair f
of articles.
“I think what keeps me from throwing them away is that they are
one of the last strings that I have from our friendship because I moved
away that summer and we drifted apart,” Stryk said. “So I guess I like
to keep them because just by seeing them brings back a rush of mem
ories of all the times we spent together.”
When people see the hat and bowtie, Stryk said she usually receives
strange looks and most people don’t understand why she would con
tinue to keep an old man’s clothing.
“People really don’t understand the significance that the items have
to me, so most of the time they aren’t even interested in hearing why I
treasure them so much,” Stryk said.
Ruben DeLuna • THE BATTALION
Schoenfeld said possessions may seem trivial to a bystander but
within each object lies something much more priceless.
“Sentimental value can mean far more to a person than things of
monetary value,” Schoenfeld said. “It kind of goes with the saying
‘money can’t buy happiness.’ I can always look at these possessions
and be reminded of the good memories I have had with my grandfa
ther but I can’t think of many things of monetary value that cause the
same reaction.”