Our planet is filled with creatures that spend their lives collecting small pieces of the world around them. In some places, you may find squirrels preparing for a cold winter by collecting nuts and seeds to store underground. In other places, you may find strange decorator crabs collecting fragments of sponges and anemones to place on their shells for camouflage or defence against predators. You may even find bowerbirds, which collect brightly coloured items to decorate a nest-like structure that they build for the purpose of finding and attracting a partner.

Collecting seems to be a natural part of life for many of our planet’s occupants. Much like these other creatures, human beings are also avid collectors of the things they find in the world around them. As children, we may have collected items like toys, marbles, or cards. As we grow older, we gradually begin to collect items like souvenirs, sculptures, or paintings. The items we collect are valuable to us because they remind us of different parts of our lives. They are tangible representations of extremely important memories that we can keep in the present. In some cases, the things we collect are the only connections left with people from the past whom we love. The possessions that we collect and keep also represent who we are. For instance, when we walk into someone’s house and observe the items placed on display, we are given a window into their identity.

The ability to purchase and own something for yourself is a precious gift—it is a reward received after much hard work. However, when the very act of owning possessions begins to become a primary aspect of our lives, it means that we have become infected by the roots of consumerism and materialism. It means that we have begun to live life for the sole pleasure of purchasing and owning new items whenever possible.

As our world develops, younger generations are being exposed to an environment where material goods of every kind are easily available to them. Not only are our needs met more easily, but our desires are more quickly inspired. Our access to social media and the internet means that we can view a plethora of attractive, interesting items and purchase them as soon as we see them. Then, as soon as we purchase those items, there is always something newer and trendier to buy. While in the past, trends may have lasted for months or years, the trends of today’s era last only a few days or weeks. Items that were considered fashionable a month ago are no longer interesting, and the only way to keep up with the rapid speed of the world is to purchase new items to fit in.

This strange era of quickly moving trends means that people are more inclined to experiment and express themselves freely. There is seemingly no limit to the things one can try or the styles one can wear. However, it also means that an unhealthy dependence on consumerism may develop in order to ensure that we conform. Our generation, having been given the ability to acquire material possessions at a faster rate and in greater quantity, has also been handed the important responsibility of being mindful. We must be mindful of the value of the items we choose to buy—how much we really need them

and for how long we intend to use them. Most importantly, we must also consider how those items and their packaging might impact the planet after their use.
Even the decorator crabs, when moulting their old shells, ensure that they carefully transfer all their decorations onto their new shells!

Life is a unique journey for everyone, and perhaps we are all collectors of different things in our own ways. However, the quality of our lives and the impact that we leave on the world can vary greatly depending on what we choose to collect and how we use our treasures. After all, we might eventually discover that the true treasures are things such as memories, friendships, and love—which will last and never fade.