In the cartoon strip, “Rabbits against magic” By Jonathan Lemon (14/12/1009) the white rabbit strolls in and asks the blue rabbit: “How come you spend so much time down here?” To which the blue rabbit replies: “I like to sort my collection of Ephemera.’ “ I’ve got posters, maps, brochures, post cards, ticket stubs, air sickness bags, letters, comics, magazines, certificates, prospectuses, catalogues and novelty book marks.’ Continuing he says: “ There’s even a box of pamphlets here on how to reduce clutter.” To which the white rabbit replies: “ I didn’t know you were part squirrel.”
By that I think he means that the blue rabbit is nuts for collecting all that stuff which by its very nature is ephemera. “Ephemera is transitory written and printed matter not intended to be retained or preserved. The word derives from the Greek, meaning things lasting no more than a day.”
So which rabbit are you and I? The one who collects ephemera things? Or the one who thinks those who do this are nuts? While it must be said that there is nothing wrong with keeping a collection of a few ephemeral things (some of which can become very valuable in later years) but there is also a point where this obsession becomes a clutter, maybe even a danger. A danger to both you and to others too. I recently read a story in the paper about how a women who had been reported missing two months earlier by her Husband, had been found in her own house, under a heap of clutter where an overladen book case had collapsed on her.
So, on the one hand I am not trying to deter you from collecting things, even ephemeral things, but please do so in moderation and avoid obsession, clutter and possible danger. Please?
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