Since I can remember myself I have been a collector. From postage stamps to wine bottle corks, I have managed to collect almost anything imaginable as long as I thought it could be "useful" or was at least "cute". My mother was usually the one, while I was a kid at least, to advice me that I should be organizing my collections, categorizing my most precious items, or putting everything into place after showing off my collecting efforts when friends came to visit. But, I was a kid and kids know better. My room, of a rather small size, seemed always like it has been bombarded by old movie tickets, empty envelopes with stamps, bottle corks, glass beads, pen lids, old movie stars' pictures, used batteries, music LP records, old books, newspapers (most of which were at least a year old), worn out clothes, my favorite magazines since the age of five, my summer shoes, name it! When I later entered college and decided to move myself and my collections, I realized that my chaos of a room had to become organized if was ever to succeed. I was going nuts and I was about to scream in despair as my head was playing nasty tricks on me and I was listening to my mom's voice repeating the old clich? "Don't tell me I didn't warn you!" Well mom, you did. Fortunately for me, you were also there to help me pack and put some sense into my head when I was insisting to move all those old pieces of scrap paper into my new place. But that happened almost ten years ago. Who is going to help me out now?



For two years now I have been living on the other side of the Atlantic in pursuit of my Masters. Now that this goal is attained, I am about to move, for the second time, out of my current residence and into my new home. As old habits die hard, I have been collecting a variety of different things that I would like to keep and decorate my new apartment. But, the moving process has to be completed during a day's time and I am not ready to face the reality of having to box everything up and transfer it to the new place that will host my existence; for who knows how long this time. At moments like this, I almost regret the fact that I have been continuing collecting a list of unnecessary things that I will have to pack carefully and organize, some of them at least, for the first time. You know how it is. One day you begin putting some order to your place and at some point the telephone rings, a friend comes over and your project is left there incomplete. But, you think, or better you hope, that your next attempt will be more productive and that there is always that next day down the road that you will magically succeed in organizing your chaotic life. Who am I kidding?

Since I am who I am and I have what I have, perhaps it is time to realize that the time I will save later compensates the fact that I should be investing some time taking care of my precious collection items while it is still early. For all those of you out there that have or consider having a collection of any sort, I urge you to consider the possibility of moving one day and having to put everything in order in a week's notice! Did I manage to scare you enough? Well, get down to business then and when you find those extra minutes, come over to help me out too. I will prepare dinner, do the dishes, and pack your clothes, but please, for God's sake, can't you see I am loosing it here?