How do you condense a 12 year period into a couple of days? You decide to watch all ROGER MOORE's JAMES BOND movies in a two day film-fest. I haven't done it yet, but I intend to do so at some stage before I get too much older. Roger played Bond from 1973 to 1985, which was very nearly half my life up to when he relinquished the role. Consequently, that 12 year duration seems far longer than a similar period would appear to me today. For instance, the last 12 years have gone by (wait for it) faster than a fart from The FLASH, so 2005 feels far more recent than it should do.
That 12 years from '73 to '85 saw a lot of changes in my life; the usual kind that everyone experiences to be sure, but no less memorable on an individual level for all that. I was a schoolboy for Roger's first two Bond outings, worked in a variety of jobs (with periods of unemployment) for the next four, and was a full-time freelancer for his swan-song. I was also living in a different house for the last two films. Friends came and went during that time, the face of my town was transformed (not always for the better) over the period, and world events would require several paragraphs to do them justice. (Relax, I'll spare you the details.)
The same thing can happen with books, too. For example, I've bought the hardback volumes of The BROONS and OOR WULLIE every year since the series first came out in 1995 (for '96) - 22 years ago. Apart from the fact that it doesn't seem anywhere near that far back, it's an odd feeling to see such a short area of shelf space representing 22 years of one's life. How can 22 years fit into a width of less than two feet? Ach, well, no use labouring the point, but the fact that the collected acquisitions of a person's entire life could probably be fitted into one room (if it was all boxed and stacked floor to ceiling) testifies to just how insignificant a dent we make in the overall scheme of things.
Anybody else ever ponder such things? Feel free to contribute your thoughts, theories, feelings and philosophies to our comments section.
Not sure when I began collecting, late 60s(the decade not my age!)would be my best guess but I have managed to hold onto most of it, and save for the vinyl records and some wildlife and movie books most of it fits into the study. Well, more my 'man-cave / bat cave or whatever. I sometimes swivel my chair around away from the computer screen and marvel at the shelves full of books and DVDs, the comic-filled boxes stacked under the desks, nearly every flat surface covered in Doctor Who figures, Daleks and Dinosaurs; only fleetingly wondering how much it all adds up to in dollars but mostly pleased to have it. So not all but most of my life's interests (aside from my family of course!) does just about fit into one room. I think of Forry Ackerman and his Ackermuseum with memorabilia over-running his whole house - would I have done the same if I had the money? I'll never know but I like to think that lack of room and funds has made for more discerning choices in acquiring what I do have - quality over quantity. Good post.
ReplyDeleteAnd good comment, PC. I'm planning at some stage on having floor-to-ceiling shelving on one wall of my study/studio, behind mirrored sliding doors (to visually compensate for the space the shelving will take up) and filling it with books, comics, models, and toys. Then, whenever, I want to gaze on some of my stuff, I can slide back the doors and drink it all in to my heart's content. Hopefully, when I get older, I'll have won the Lottery by then (or got a Lottery Grant) to establish a museum of childhood, which will focus mainly on items of the '60s & '70s. Your room sounds great.
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