Word: omnium-gatherum

  

omnium-gatherum

\ om-nee-uhm-GATH-er-uhm \  , noun;

1. a miscellaneous collection.

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             “So do you have any hobbies?”  Jack asked.  Mary, his date, didn’t seem to hear.  Or if she did, she didn’t feel the need to answer.  Instead, she chose to run off and pick something up off the ground.

               It was just another odd thing she did.  The blind date had gone fairly well in Jack’s opinion.  Mary was pretty and quite energetic.  She had an acute sense of humor, and seemed to find humor in almost everything.  Conversation had gone well, and he found that they had enough in common to find a good amount of topics to talk about.  Although, he did find her a bit eccentric.  Although he generally knew what she was talking about, what she said sometimes needed some thought.

               She examined the object she picked up carefully and smiled.  She bounded back over to him and showed him her treasure.  It was a piece of colored glass, most likely from some piece of costume jewelry or craft set. 

               “I collect stuff.”  She said holding out the glass for a moment before pocketing it.  It was another thing he needed to think about.

               “What, you mean you collect bits of glass or rocks or something?”

               “Well, all that is stuff, so yeah, I guess I do.”

               “So you have a glass collection?”

               “I have a stuff collection.”  She said proudly.  “A big one.”  Jack thought it through for a moment.

               “So what, you pick up random things off the ground, and that’s your collection?”

               “Exactly!”  She said excitedly.  

               Jack thought about it for a bit, then couldn’t help but start laughing.  It was a completely ridiculous idea, but it fit her perfectly.  Jack couldn’t help but imagine her amidst piles of what other people would consider junk.  He almost missed it when Mary started laughing right along with him, without even knowing what he found so funny.

               “So, what exactly makes up your little stuff collection?”  He asked once he had calmed down a bit.

               “All kinds of stuff.”

               “Well, is it just things you pick up off the ground, or do you buy some of it?”

               “Most of it I just find on the ground, but there are some things I got on the shelf.”

               “Ah.  So it’s mainly rocks and beads and the like.”

               “No, those are only a small portion of what I have.  Let’s see, I’ve got string, rubber bands, bits of metal fixtures, rocks, bolts, screws…”

               She kept listing the many things she had in her collection for quite some time.  It was not only completely random, but also very extensive.  It seemed like she simply picked up whatever she felt like, regardless of form or function.  Jack started to wonder if she was a bit of a pack rat, or just odd.  Suddenly though, she simply stopped talking and looked lost in thought.

               “You know, it might just be easier if I showed you my collection.”  She said.

               “Huh?”  Jack asked.

               “Yeah, you can come over to my place and see my stuff collection.  That’d be easier than me telling you what’s in it.”  She looked up at him with her big, bright, happy eyes as she spoke.   Jack didn’t know what to say to the invitation.  He knew it was completely innocent, and that she really was going to show him her collection, but he still felt a bit out of place going to her home on the first date.  But, he also had to admit he was more than a little curious about it.

               “Alright, sure.  Why not?”  He said.

               “Yay!”  She shouted gleefully.  She grabbed his hand and started pulling him along at a brisk pace.  Jack just smiled and did everything he could to stifle his laughter.

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What do you think?  Would you want to see a stuff collection like this?  Or maybe even start one.  Certainly a conversation starter, that's for sure.