The "Junque" Collector

My dad was infamous for collecting junk. He saw it as a way of ministering to other people, since he always wanted to be able to help out, and if he had something they needed, he could give it to them or loan it to them. He always saw the "useful" in things other people felt were only good for discarding. This habit of his was very aggravating to my mother, but I can totally understand his motivation, since I have some of the same tendencies. I know the happy feeling I get when I have something that someone needs and can provide it for them. I don't know what that says about my inner character, but that's the way it is, just the same. It is not necessarily the most rational feeling, but I really like to be able to help someone out, and I guess I get that from my dad. I can still remember when my brother and I were small, my dad gave away my bedroom set to a family whose house had burned down. My mother was furious with him, but the worst thing that happened was that I had to bunk in with my little brother for a while. And I learned a great lesson about meeting other peoples' needs.

This is a picture of my dad clowning around with a "Junque" sign I gave him one Christmas. The following quote by Benjamin Franklin really epitomizes the way my dad lived his life. He had a remarkable way of saying the right thing or nothing at all.

"Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment."
Author:Benjamin Franklin