Nostalgia

My parents are trying to clear out their attic so I'm moving my old stuff out of there. It's a tiny attic so getting my boxes out is a challenge in itself, and then there is the question of what I will actually find in those boxes. To a great extent I know, but I don't know it all. My old dolls are all up there, some other toys, papers and old scrapbooks. Sorting through it all brings back a lot of good memories for me. Playing with those dolls with my friends for hours on end. Postcards I got from my dad when he was at work in another town and couldn't be there during the week. And postcards I got when I was in hospital for a week when I was about 11 years old. Lots of things I made when I was in school, like a small knitted snowman and a purse. And football memorabilia from way back when I was a staunch supporter of the Dutch national soccer team in 1974. Or rather when I supported a player called Johan Neeskens. Some of the things in the boxes I knew about, others I thought had vanished long ago, and some I haven't found yet.

I started out by sorting out my old Barbie dolls. I have quite a few, all vintage now, but they have been played with a lot, so they would not be considered collectible. I liked seeing them again though, because they brought back a lot of good memories, and that is the only thing that makes them really valuable for me. I played with these dolls for hours with my friends, and we lived whole imaginary lives, creating homes and other environments for the dolls to live in. I still have some of the old clothes, my mother knitted a lot of clothes for my dolls. So I still have lots of knitted dresses, capes, sweaters and trousers. It must have taken her a lot of time to make all of them, but they were greatly appreciated. Then there are the little shoes, coathangers, gloves and even lingerie. It's been good fun sorting it out, but then I guess I need to think of what to do with them. For now they will get a nice home in my attic.




I checked my old photo album and found a couple of pictures of me with the dolls. One of them tells me that I got a couple of dolls on my fifth birthday. And, by the way, I still have the pram too, it's still up in the attic.




And that I cherished them enough to hold them all with me for the next Christmas picture.