Glimmer of Light from the Past

10/23/2018 7:26 AM
Post Number: 30195

   Like most people, I have a few (???) artifacts from the past in the house.  For the most part, those things reside in my "Trophy Room", ",Man Cave", or "Mantuary. "   In my family we always referred to that room as the "Garoni Room" because each member of my mother's family had a room where they kept a few of the things from their childhood as well as those trinkets that they have accumulated over the years that really have no use but to serve as a reminder, either good or bad, of their personal history. Since I am one of the last surviving 2nd generation of that family, I now possess many of those artifacts. I guess you could say that I have continued that tradition.

   Not every memory artifact is in the Museum. After a while, some of those things tend to lose their connection to the past and become a part of the daily life of the present. But like a glimmer of sunlight peeking through the clouds after a storm, occasionally the present and the past merge for just an instant as the light reveals a long lost memory.

   Yesterday, I had one of those experiences in my closet.  The neighborhood Veteran's Support Club is collecting clothing for homeless veterans.  It is a simple and uncomplicated effort.  All they ask is that we gather clothing, put it in a plastic trash bag and drop it off at the Clubhouse.  The effort requires No receipts, No fanfare, No tax free status, it only requires a few minutes of personal inventory for items that we no longer need or want.

   I usually don't spend a lot of time in my closet.  Many items there are long past the wearing phase and are now just "squatting" in their appropriated home.  The one thing I do try to accomplish is to have my clothes at least organized by season.  You may do the same, Short Sleeves in one area, Long sleeves in another. Short pants and Long pants have their own areas.  Did I hear some mutter OCD under their breath?  I assure you I don't have OCD, I just have a "Preoccupation with order, symmetry or exactness."  Take my word for it, I checked several websites and that is down below level 5 on the OCD chart.

   Anyway, to cut to the chase, while I was gathering some clothing for the Veterans Drive, I noticed the small stand up mirror in the corner of the closet.(Bottom left in picture below).  It has been in the same location since I moved into this house ten years ago.  When I moved it to the shirt rack, I was wondering why it had not been cast-off years ago.  That's when the glimmer of light mentioned above reflected back at me from the mirror (Bottom right in Picture below).

   I had long since forgotten that as a kid in the early 1950's, that mirror was on my dresser. We lived in a three bedroom one bath house along with my brother, mother, father and two of my mother's brothers (most Italians will understand the situation).  The pecking order for the bath ended with me at the bottom of the list, since I was the youngest. The purpose of the mirror was for me to comb or brush my hair, brush my teeth in a bowl and get ready for school instead of take up valuable space in the only bath room. I hasten to add it was never called a "Restroom" because no one was allowed to "REST" in it. It was in and out if you get my drift.

   All of a sudden, that little mirror became a portal to what I have always felt was a blessed and wonderful childhood.  Accordingly, I took it to the kitchen, cleaned it up and did my best Windex job.  As it turns out it now resides in my "Garoni Room," but before I moved it there I had to take a picture of it before it took it's place of honor in the memory lane that I seem to be living in today.

   If only that Mirror could tell the story of those reflections that it has seen over the years!"