I collect several things, including tools and firearms (its a "guy" thing). But the last few years I've been collecting hourglasses. The hourglass is the perfect metaphor for life itself and has been used as such by many writers. the phrase, "sands of time", of course, refers to our life as though it was the sand in an hourglass.
According to Wikipedia, the hourglass was first conceived in about the 8th century AD and was an indispensable part of ocean navigation for hundreds of years as it was used in conjunction with the sextant to determine one's position. After the development of the mechanical clock, however, the hourglass became a much less popular way to tell time.
So why do I collect them? Well, there are a couple of reasons. First, they are generally fairly inexpensive, at least the ones I collect are. Second, they seem to be pretty rare in flea markets and antique stores so you don't have to spend a lot of money on your collection. I always, when I enter an antique mall, ask the owners if they have seen any hourglasses. They almost always reply that, no, they haven't seen any.
In spite of the difficulty in finding hourglasses, I now have a grand total of eleven of them, in all sizes shapes, and materials. They range in time measurement from three minutes to one hour. My latest acquisition was given to me yesterday by a dear friend. She is one of the most thoughtful people I know and she knew that I collected them so she gave me this one.
It's about half way through its 15 minute cycle. One thing unusual about this hourglass is the color of the sand, almost pitch black. Joy, thank you very much!
Joy also included a cartoon with it which relates to hourglasses. Dan Piraro, one of my favorite cartoonists, does a strip called "Bizarro", which is slightly off the wall. Here is his take on hourglasses:
At any rate, I enjoy collecting hourglasses. If you happen to find one, think of me. I'll never forget you!
