Use by date

I am amazed by the number of items we have collected over the years. I envy the family which can discard used items like toys, books, magazines, furniture, vessels, wires, old bulbs, watches, and other knick-knacks without any remorse as soon as they feel that they have had enough of it! Somehow, I never find time to do the house-keeping and discarding old things that have accumulated over the years. I still find old network cables, old mobile phones that do not hold battery charge for more than 2 minutes, electrical sockets and plugs, and other items around. They have an uncanny knack of popping up when I am searching for an item, as if calling me out and saying, "Remember me?"

I played with you!

I recently saw a stuffed toy lying outside my neighbour's house kept there with the refuse waiting for the garbage collector to come and throw it away. The face somehow conveyed to me a distress unseen in a toy that is generally played with by kids. Did the toy somehow realize that either the kid who played with it is now older, and hence out-grown, or the kid wanted something new to play with , got it and hence had no use for he older toy. I wouldn't know. Somehow, I didn't feel it would be appropriate to ask!