Only.

Some people collect cars. Some people collect luxury cars. Some people collect stamps, some collect teddies, others collect vinyl records. I  remember when I had clarinet lessons, my teacher had just one student, that was me, we often played duets, my teacher she collected plates. After my lesson, we would show me some of them, they were beautifully displayed up high around the room, she would tell me a story about some of them. It was very interesting.

My husband, his one brother collects old clocks, he has a lot! Paul's other brother collects, small antiques, it is always fascinating, to go to his home, to see the latest item he as bought, it is also very educating, to learn something new.

Years ago, Paul and I used to watch in the mornings, a programme from Americia, of two friends who went all over looking for old things to buy from the general public. They would pass maybe a isolated farmhouse and knock on the door and introduce themselves, and asked, "Have you got anything here that is on our list?" Some didn't like cold callers, others would be ok with that. They would show them a out house, or a huge barn, filled with goddies. Some places they would go and visit by invitation and it would belong to an old man, in his 80's he would have old cars for example, that he had collected over the year, and they were in good condition back then, but now many had turned to rust, from a leaking roof. Even though, they would be rusty and no good, he would still not sell it to them! He was SO used to collecting his items, that he didn't want to let them go at any price. They would stay there no good to anyone, not even him. Other homes that these two men would go to, they would have been asked to go and visit, by the grandchild, they were now in charge, after the grandparents had died, and their parents were too old, and no one wanted any of the collection that the grandparents and parents had collected. The third generation, did not care for the items which they saw as usless junk! That was always sad. They had collected all of that, for nothing, now it would be sold for very little, where the two men would make a big buck! That would be for the few items that would be of interest to them, the rest would then be thrown away by the younger family member.

I have a lot of handbags, but I don't collect them, I also have lots of shoes, but I don't collect them. I collect little flasks, special cups, special cups with lids all for hot drinks. My aim is to find the perfect flask, for hot drinks 3" tall and 1" wide,  and leakproof. When I find that, my quest is complete. I surprised myself a few months ago, and bought a huge flask. It keeps drinks hot for 24 hours and cold for 24 hours. I personally have not used it for myself, as I would not be able to drink that much tea! I have used it for Paul, once when we have been to a car boot. All my little flasks and cups, and cups with lids are on my shelf, I like to look at them, and pick which one I want to use next. 

I made a friend, coffee on 3 occasions, he loved it, I didn't mind, I knew my precious flask was in good hands, I would say to him, "When you have finished with it, wash it out with cold water all 3 sections of it." Then later on, I would hand wash it myself, so that it was ready for the next time.

I made a flask of coffee, for my friend, using my huge flask, 10 days ago, that day I asked, "Where is my flask?" He said, "I have left it in Lesley's car," My heart missed a beat. I text Lesley and said, "Jude has left my flask in your car, please can you take it out and wash it in cold water, all three parts, thank you." Seven days later, Lesley said, "I will give Jude your flask back today." 

Jude gave me my flask back, it had a HUGE dent in the middle of it, I said, "It has a huge dent in it!!!" Jude took it from me and squeezed it and the dent was removed, 98%.  it also felt like the cold water was still in  it, I went to the sink in the kitchen and to my horror, it was cold coffee for a week before  I was shocked! I came back into the room, and said, to Jude, "Coffee was still in it," He said, "It's only as flask!" I was hurt, and thought, I would never trust him again to enjoy my flask again!! He returned home, then I said to Paul, "I can't believe my flask came back in that state, dented and with week old coffee in it." Paul said, "Stop going on  about it, it is only a flask." I said, "If you had borrowed one of your precious books, and it came back ruined, would that be OK?" He finally understood, that to his it is only a flask, but it is important to Me like his books are important to him.

I think some people, don't know what it means to have Respect for other people's things. They don't respect themself, and don't appreciate that what they think of as insingificant is Very Special and Important to the other person.

I looked at the dent in my flask today, and the flask is still Special to me, even though now it is not Perfect.