Starting To Gain Interest

Well I’ve returned from another Sunday trip to the landfill and the family is starting to gain some interest in the things I’m finding.

I can recall a trip to the landfill with my father when I was about three years old. The appearance of an alien landscape the sweat smell of decay and the excitement of being somewhere new. The thing I recall most of this day was a small metal army vehicle that I had discovered half buried in the clay. It had been driven over and the back wheels were nowhere to be found. This was not a pristine find however I was determined to make it my own. I remember asking my father, “Can I keep it dad? Please!” His reply was something like, “No, you don’t want that piece of junk it’s filthy, and its broken. Throw it back.” I don’t fault my father for this response nor do I see this as a scaring moment that hurts to this day. No, I think my father’s response is very typical of the culture we live in. “It’s broken, then through it out” has replaced the time honored “It’s broken, then fix it”.

Here is a selection of the items after they have been cleaned up. 56 washable felt pens, a wooden car, various shaped wooden blocks, a couple dinky cars, some toy tools, a staple remover, some jewelery, a hard hat for the tickle trunk, some nesting dishes, a brand new tool box with inside tote, and three barbi dolls one of which is circa 1966. There were other items found this trip too but I'll add them to a future post.

Even the boy is enjoying the reclaimed items.

Watching my daughters eyes light up when she sees the hoard of reclaimed objects being inventoried has reminded me how we often take the things we have for granted. I want to instill in my children a sense of right and wrong and I want them to see the true value of all things.