Every now and then, I attempt to clean the toy tent (a toy house which is used for storing toys in part and in pieces; nevertheless it comes in handy during guest visits) and end up confused and disillusioned.
Toys with parts missing. Broken crayon pieces that I considered too precious to throw out during a possible cleaning session in the recent past (I go on a memory trail and think about that little piece of crayon I cherished during my childhood days. Lesser possessions; therefore more perceived value for gifts during those days). Jigsaw puzzle pieces. Dime a dozen pieces from 'return gift' kits that found their way home after various birthday parties.
Not to diminish the value of any gift per se, but most often, our homes are inundated with gifts and trinkets which we don't employ for anything in particular. They lie around the house, we keep shifting their position; not quite sure what to do with them. And inevitably as it turns out, these are made of plastic and at least some of us shy away from throwing them into the trash bin. They don't belong to any typical recycle category, so what do we do with them? Where do they belong to?
Then, there are the bigger toys which need to be assembled, and upon losing a part or two, they become part of the increasing toy trouble. In the eternal hope of finding that one missing piece, it gets added to the toy torrent. But in reality, for want of a single piece, the picture is never complete, the toy becomes dysfunctional.
Our times are definitely defined by excesses. But, with the bigger picture incomplete, the links missing. Where do we go from here?
Toys with parts missing. Broken crayon pieces that I considered too precious to throw out during a possible cleaning session in the recent past (I go on a memory trail and think about that little piece of crayon I cherished during my childhood days. Lesser possessions; therefore more perceived value for gifts during those days). Jigsaw puzzle pieces. Dime a dozen pieces from 'return gift' kits that found their way home after various birthday parties.
Then, there are the bigger toys which need to be assembled, and upon losing a part or two, they become part of the increasing toy trouble. In the eternal hope of finding that one missing piece, it gets added to the toy torrent. But in reality, for want of a single piece, the picture is never complete, the toy becomes dysfunctional.
Our times are definitely defined by excesses. But, with the bigger picture incomplete, the links missing. Where do we go from here?
