Word Collector

There is a cool book at Scholastic called “The Word Collector,” about a young boy named Jerome. He is fascinated with words and collects them, writing them on slips of paper. So I talked to the kids about different kinds of collections today. Then I started thinking about my collections of yore.

Tea sets were a happening one years ago, along with teapots. Stamps – since the age of ten – and still going! Dictionaries. I love the old ones that weigh ten pounds and have great names. “Webster’s Imperial English Dictionary.” Who uses “imperial” in everyday speech anymore? Such a cool word. Santas – something my sister thought we needed to collect. Globes – I like the ones where the background is black. Pumpkins – seems to be an accidental collection right now – yet I am drawn to them, especially the ones which are different colors.

Collections are amusing if you enjoy them, and a nuisance if they become an obsession, which in turn can become a burden to your offspring. Therefore, I am endeavoring to collect only words, which take up a small amount of space on a paper, and experiences, which use the spaces surrounding me. (And maybe a cool pumpkin or dictionary if I find one.)