My Collections: Badges

My badge collection is quite extensive and scattered. I am not even sure if this is all of them -- I'm constantly finding badges in corners of my room, in drawers, or on the floor. Despite how that sounds, I really do treasure my badge collection and try to take care of all of them (though a few have tragically gone through the wash and emerged not quite the same). I started collecting badges when I was about 12 or so, and having material objects that explicitly stated your interests/hobbies was all the rage, not only that but brandishing these trivial objects constituted an identity. I latched on to anything that could differentiate me from my peers and assert my individuality; having plenty of Hello Kitty pins to sprinkle on my backpack seemed like the most convenient means through which I could establish myself as a cultured creative. I've learned to rely on my thoughts, my actions, and my words to convey who I am rather than substituting items for a personality, but I still have a soft spot for badges. What can I say? They're just fun! And there's really no harm in using them to supplement your personality, as affirmation for an already fully formed identity.

Unfortunately, I've had these for so long that it'd be impossible for me to track down where I got them all from.

These are my favorites in my collection. The center one is from Belgium, the one to the right is a Life Aquatic pin that did not fair to well in the wash. The ones at the top and bottom are from The Black Apple.

Funnily enough, this collection is sort of an accurate archive of my past selves -- or at least an accurate catalog of the foundations of my identity. I think to an extent I believe that materialism can lead to authenticity.