B19: Why are souvenirs important?

 

“Things don't really impress me. Memories impress me. It's not the toys, it's the people.”-
R. A. Salvatore

Image credit: Jan Hakan Dahlstrom
(BBC)

Why are souvenirs important?

For memories……

A few days ago, I decided to straighten up my life mostly just get my belongings properly aligned. I targeted my locker first; even though it is just a small locker in a big cupboard it was the most time-consuming section of the lot. If you ask me, ‘Why?’, I’d reply, ‘I stumbled across my souvenirs.’ That tiny little locker was shadowed by big sections of dropping and messy clothes, but that day I finally decided to give it some attention which it surely deserved.

As my expedition of unraveling the secrets of my locker began I started coming across many small gifts and objects I used to use eons ago. I found my identity cards from my school and college, and I came across the badges I had worn, the hairbands, clips, and rubbers which matched my school uniform, these minute little things brought back thousands of memories attached to my childhood’s very crucial part; school days. When I dug a bit further, I found a bag with gifts! Those weren’t some gifts but were my parting-farewell gifts from my classmates and friends when I left the city. Those gifts not only brought memories but brought back the feelings and emotions which my friends and I shared. These gifts are symbols of love and friendship and a promise of never letting go of each other because even after almost a decade we are still connected.

Source: Morioh

I spend almost an hour behind that locker, No I was not going to clear that section, that locker belonged to those souvenirs; it is my box of memories. Those friendship bands are not literally tying me to my friends but they tie me to our memories. Yes, they are not all sweet as I had all types of encounters with them but those gifts prove that love and forgiveness stand above hatred and enmity. There was a thin doll wearing a white color gown playing piano, it was gifted to me by a girl I had an ugly fight that year. The fight was a pity if you ask me now but then it was a great deal, still what I have from her today is that cute little doll that would make me smile whenever I see it. Thus, bringing positivity and contentment. So do you now see why these souvenirs are important?

There are moments we absolutely forget but then these souvenirs, mementos, we keep always takes us back to such hidden memories, and Oh! Those flashbacks are blissful, you feel young, and you live your young moments even if for a bit but that nostalgia,… it is something you can’t buy. Memories are so important because without them there’s no sense of living. Yes, one should not look back, but only not to regret, you can and you should always occasionally look back and analyze your growth, your life, your achievements, your failures, and your relationships. How strong things have grown or how weak few turned out, where you went wrong or what great you did and then decide. If you have happy memories live them occasionally and get happy, check on people who were a part of it, if you have bad memories check if they still haunt you or have you grown from it.

Source: Verywell Mind

How to make memories? You cannot make them they develop themselves. But yes, you can surely preserve them in photographs, as ED SHERAN said in his song, “We keep this love in a photograph
We made these memories for ourselves
Where our eyes are never closing
Hearts are never broken
And time's forever frozen, still

So you can keep me
Inside the pocket of your ripped jeans
Holding me closer 'til our eyes meet
You won't ever be alone, wait for me to come home”.

Click as many photographs as you can, with whomever it is possible to. Take candid pictures; take pictures of the scene, of the people around, you never know who won’t be in it the next time. The second activity that consumed my time that day was going through all the albums. We have dozens of albums from our birthdays and small trips and celebrations. There were people in it who are not alive today, my older cousins who are married today, cousins and neighbors of my age with whom I have lost contact, days when I would cry and ask for attention and get all the pampering, days when my mom would dress me in all fancy and sparkly clothes, in cute little ponies and put on makeup like some big model, fancy designer cakes and everyone from far distant homes coming at one place just to wish me, ‘HAPPY BIRTHDAY’. So never ever miss an opportunity of clicking photographs and capturing those moments in a simple snapshot, one click captures thousands of things that when relived even after an hour or a decade later would bring all those emotions back! Whenever you are in a moment, try to enjoy it best, try to live it in the best way possible because as Andy from THE OFFICE said, “I wish there was a way to know you're in the good old days before you've actually left them.” We never know which moment will hold what place in our life, what would turn out of the moment you are living, so instead of missing out and regretting later live it in the moment, and then when the moment has passed you would have no regrets but only beautiful memories to fall back on.

 So keep those photographs saved and those little things hidden somewhere. No matter how useless they are, how spacious they are, hold on to them they will one day rescue you. You know time spent on reliving your memories is never a time wasted. The calmness you feel and the contentment that flows through your body refreshes your whole soul, a rush of positivity boosts you to live your upcoming life in a better way, and it energizes you. So if you ever feel low or sad you know what to do!

‘Throw them away!’, a voice yelled at me,
No! I answered back,
These are my memories, which keep me floating,
They have souls and they have spirits,
They have my part of my life frozen,
I cling to them when my life swings back,
They bring a smile from a mile,
And they bring hope, for there’s so much to cope,
These are my souvenirs, my saviors.

PS: Check out this movie The Broken Hearts Gallery, totally about a girl's obsession with Souvenirs and turning this idea into a great business plan.

 By,

Humaira Kazi.