Glamour

I'm sorting through a jewellery box that's been in storage for absolutely yonks. After finding the key to the box buried at the bottom of a shoebox full of memories, I cracked it open, and there, glittering beautifully, was an entire chest of silver and sparkles.

I feel as though I've robbed a jewellery store. I rarely wear more than just a single pair of earrings, and occasionally I'll go through a phase of wearing one particular necklace for a long time. The most recent necklace subjected to this ordeal broke and I think I just always assumed that the others collided with the same fate, or got lost along the way. But here in my jewellery box, I've found relics of the past. I sift through it, and memories spring up at me through the glitz. Here and there, the chains have tangled up; I find a delicate pendant from my first boyfriend solidly clinging to a tacky number I bought for a fling with fashion photography. Scattered amongst the silver ropes and cubic zirconia diamonds are a number of earrings, some with partners, some without, and I am surprised when it makes me sad to think of letting any of the lonely ones go. I manage to slowly dig through the collection, untangling as I go, and it feels like no time at all has passed since I began, even though I can feel the darkness settling outside.

Once I'm done I pick up each piece, one after the other, and lay them reverently back down in the box, all in their own neat compartments. I'm almost definitely too sentimental and I know that I probably won't wear half of them ever again. But I remember exactly how each and every one was acquired, and some of the events they accompanied me through. Not all were happy and not all make for the best memories, but most do, and this is what I cling to. Somehow in this box, in these tiny pieces of mostly worthless metal, I've captured memories of good times with friends, and gifts picked out just for me because for one small moment, I was at the forefront of the purchaser's mind.

It makes me feel alive, loved, unique, special...and sorely in need of the ability to throw things away.