Many years ago, I bought my beloved cat, Midnight, a stuffed rainbow-colored stocking thinking that she might like it. She more than liked it. She adored it. She carried it around in her mouth. She tossed it in the air. She beat the living daylights out of it. And it's been looking a little worse for the wear for a long time. But I'll never throw it away. I understand comfort. I bought a $4 tee-shirt off a clearance rack about 15 years ago. It was lime green and it had a cartoon on it. The cartoon depicted Richard Nixon and underneath him the shirt said, "He's tanned, rested, and ready" [presumably to return to office]. I was never really a Nixon fan. In fact, he was a little before my time. But I thought the shirt was funny and the price was right, so I bought it. It fit perfectly and I wore it until it became a rag.
In 1998, I bought a Bible and after reading through it a couple of times, the cover began to look ragged. Then it started to fall apart. So, I taped it together and I still use it. I've re-taped it several times, but I can't imagine ever getting rid of it. I've made so many notes in it. And I can remember exactly where certain passages are on the page. No way am I getting rid of it--no matter how tattered it becomes.
Some people get excited about new stuff. I'm that way with cars and computers and a few other gadgets. But by and large, I'd rather keep my old, worn out, comfy stuff. Yeah I'm sentimental. But it's more than that. It's hard to find the "perfect" anything. Once I do, I hardly see the point in trying to improve upon it.
