| [00:01.080] |
--- lesson 59 Collecting |
| [00:05.240] |
--- Listen to the tape then answer the question below. |
| [00:11.040] |
--- What in particular does a person gain when he or she becomes a serious collector? |
| [00:19.840] |
People tend to amass possessions, sometimes without being aware of doing so. |
| [00:25.920] |
Indeed they can have a delightful surprise when they find something useful which they did not know they owned. |
| [00:33.360] |
Those who never have to move house become indiscriminate collectors of what can only be described as clutter. |
| [00:41.040] |
They leave unwanted objects in drawers, cupboards and attics for years, in the belief that they may one day need just those very things. |
| [00:50.800] |
As they grow old, people also accumulate belongings for two other reasons, |
| [00:56.640] |
lack of physical and mental energy, both of which are essential in turning out and throwing away, and sentiment. |
| [01:05.800] |
Things owned for a long time are full associations with the past, perhaps with relatives who are dead, |
| [01:13.040] |
and so they gradually acquire a value beyond their true worth. |
| [01:18.120] |
Some things are collected deliberately in the home in an attempt to avoid waste. |
| [01:23.120] |
Among these I would list string and brown paper, |
| [01:26.880] |
kept by thrifty people when a parcel has been opened, to save buying these two requisites. |
| [01:33.360] |
Collecting small items can easily become a mania. |
| [01:37.880] |
I know someone who always cuts sketches out from newspapers of model clothes that she would like to buy if she had the money. |
| [01:46.680] |
As she is not rich, the chances that she will ever be able to afford such purchases are remote; |
| [01:53.040] |
but she is never sufficiently strong-minded to be able to stop the practice. |
| [01:58.640] |
It is a harmless habit, but it litters up her desk to such an extent that every time she opens it, loose bits of paper fall out in every direction. |
| [02:09.800] |
Collecting as a serious hobby is quite different and has many advantages. |
| [02:15.680] |
It provides relaxation for leisure hours, as just looking at one's treasures is always a joy. |
| [02:23.120] |
One does not have to go outside for amusement, since the collection is housed at home. |
| [02:29.240] |
Whatever it consists of, stamps, records, first editions of books china,glass, |
| [02:37.640] |
antique furniture, pictures, model cars, stuffed birds, toy animals, |
| [02:45.240] |
there is always something to do in connection with it, from finding the right place for the latest addition, to verifying facts in reference books. |
| [02:55.720] |
This hobby educates one not only in the chosen subject, but also in general matters which have some bearing on it. |
| [03:04.280] |
There are also other benefits. |
| [03:06.880] |
One wants to meet like-minded collectors, to get advice, to compare notes, to exchange articles, to show off the latest find. |
| [03:16.920] |
So one's circle of friends grows. |
| [03:20.000] |
Soon the hobby leads to travel, perhaps to a meeting in another town, possibly a trip abroad in search of a rare specimen, |
| [03:29.240] |
for collectors are not confined to any one country. |
| [03:33.200] |
Over the years, one may well become an authority on one's hobby and will very probably be asked to give informal talks to little gatherings and then, |
| [03:44.200] |
if successful, to larger audiences. |
| [03:47.400] |
In this way self-confidence grows, first from mastering a subject, then from being able to talk about it. |
| [03:56.080] |
Collecting, by occupying spare time so constructively, makes a person contented, with no time for boredom. |
