The Life of a Sentimentalist

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Those that know me well know that I'm a bit of a sentimentalist; I wax nostalgic and attach sentimental meaning to nearly everything. This afternoon I noticed that the first sandals that I had purchased here in Central America are barely clinging to life but something in me refuses to let them go. I used to traipse around La Carpio in them, they remind me of Costa Rica and they've served me so well over the past 2 years here in Honduras. How can I just willy-nilly throw them away after all that history together? I realized immediately how ridiculous such thoughts were and then I got to thinking and it occurred to me that this rationale extends to most inanimate objects in my life. I attach emotions and feelings to household objects and they become little friends, companions in my life. And then I thought to give you all some examples of some of the madness.

The Sandals

Randoms gifts from people over the years
Every CD I've ever been given since 1994...there are some that I've never listened to like afewloosescrews. I keep it because it reminds me of Matt West, Delmar Sauder and Dave Lantz and my childhood in general at Agape Fellowship.

Every card or note sent my way since moving to Central America

I've recently started retaining my glass jars because I felt guilty about tossing them out. Then I started looking for things to fill them with so I began making Apple Butter and Apple Sauce.



Every church related note or church bulletin since about 2001 - they live in my Bible

This is my favorite - a Fraktur art piece on the front of a Franconia Mennonite Church bulletin

This is the funniest. My friends Kent Metzler and James Eby made the Lancaster Mennonite Conference Newsletter in 2003 so I kept the article in my Bible.
I know I'm a strange bird - but I like me...and I like the quirks.

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