Nashauna Drummond, Lifestyle Coordinator

Many Jamaicans have a tendency to hoard everything. While some quickly replace the old with the new, others, for what may seem sentimental reasons, hold on to sometimes seemingly useless junk.

Hoarding?

A co-worker recently told me that decades after the fact, her grandmother still had the dress she was christened in over 40 years ago. By now, time has changed the beautiful little white silk dress to almost light yellow, but it's still treated with the greatest reverence.

This leads to the habit of hoarding. While in some household space is premium, others bear the signs of overcrowding. Ever been to someone's house (especially in rural Jamaica, and seen still sitting around or used for decoration, a container whose contents have been long gone? Even beautiful yet empty perfume bottles are kept on the dresser as evidence of their use. For some of us, those bottles lose their relevance once empty.

Stacks of old Gleaner newspaper are often kept by older Jamaicans. You will find them under mattresses, beneath sofa cushions or just packed neatly in a corner of a room. These are the same set of people who also store old greeting cards and decades of calendars hung on top of each other. And you dare not touch them in the name of tidying up the place. Other people store funeral/wedding programmes too.

Fine China

Tea sets, drinking glasses and plates that only see the light of day in some homes on special occasions like Christmas. For others, using these items is part of everyday life. On the other hand, only the best will do on special occasions and when a stranger or family from overseas is visiting.

Unfortunately China and glassware will "dry rot" or become brittle for lack of use and just fall to splinters in your hand when eventually touched.

Similarly there is the 'Sunday best' outfit that may be worn only once a year. It's that outfit that was sent by a favourite relative from overseas? The one that's completely different from anything that anyone else in the community has. It's only worn to very very special functions. Unfortunately you never get a full life out of it as it sits in the original bag it came in gathering dust and moths and withers away from lack of use.

So while some members of our society just cannot wait to cast some used things aside, others are saving these items for posterity. Where do you fall?

nashauna.drummond@gleanerjm.com