No Juan Is An Island

What’s the oldest thing you own that you still use daily?

A bag, a polo, and a camera.

Things, just like relationships, last longer when we take care of them. Being responsible, respectful, and being a good steward are social skills (or even values) that are taught to us an early age. We usually take care of things that we value.

Growing up, I could proudly say that I really have a knack for taking care of my belongings. From my toys to books to clothes and shoes, I have a good number of these material possessions that were in good condition. Since most of them I have outgrown, and keeping them is not a very practical thing to do, I would opt to give them away or hand them to my younger cousins. I used to even have my “baby” pillow which I have only learned to let go when I was 14.

Old but not really obsolete. So I have a few other “old” possessions that I haven’t gotten rid of because one, I could still use them, and two, some of them have sentimental value. I have 3 “old” things on top of my head that I want to talk about. While I don’t use them daily, I still would use them whenever.

My hiking bag. Now 18 years old, I bought my very first (and only) hiking bag after I did my 1st mountain climbing experience back in 2005. After realizing that I wanted to be a mountaineer from then on, I invested on a hiking bag. Through my years of hiking, beachbeering, local and international travels, I have most of the time used that hiking bag. From Mount Pulag to my backpacking in Europe, this bag of mine has gone through a lot. And I am happy I still have it!

A red and white checkered long-sleeved polo. I am a polo-kind-of-guy but that doesn’t mean I splurge on buying alot of polo shirts. I just like wearing one and I have a good number of polo grom more than 10 years ago that are still “alive”, and I still use them to dare. Among these “old” polos is this red and white checkered long-sleeved polo that I would often wear in significant events in my life. I remember wearing it during the 3 job application interviews I had the past years, all of which I got hired. Hohoho! I also bring this polo whenever I have a speaking engagement abroad like a seminar or a congress. I still have it now and I am planning to wear it next month for my sister’s birthday party.

The 1st two items I have shared maybe older than this 3rd item I am about to share. But this personal belonging is something I have been using almost everyday no matter what mood, circumstance, or situation I am in. It’s my 7 year-old mirror-less camera.

I bought this CanonM10 camera back in 2016. Ba cc k theb, I actually have 2 other cameras — my 2009 bought Nikon DSLR, and my 2005 point and shoot Kodak camera which wasn’t really in a good condition already. I was about to start a 2-month overseas trip then. I was supposed to being my DSLR and alas, of all the things I could possibly forget, it was my DSL tgat I forgot. I realized that when I was already inside the airplane enroute Singapore. Of course I didn’t want to go on a trip of a lifetime without a camera. I didn’t want either to just settle for my cellphone’s camera so I bought a camera in Singapore before flying out to Auckland.

So that’s the history of this now 7-year old camera that I have been using almost everyday (whether I am on a trip or just at home. I’d click on any subject from random street scenes, my dogs, people or even a selfie. My camera is definitely a big part of me, of my highs and lows. Going over the photographs I have captured using this camera of mine is my sanctuary for nostalgia. (You might be windering what happened to my then older DSLR… Well it accidentally fell from my tripod during a 2017 trip so I had to let it go).

A sentimental fool like me loves keeping a lot of things (Mari Kondo would be very mad hahaha). But I am proud to say that I really know how to value these things that I have. (Which reminds ne, I have a 20-year old Hardy Boys book collection. I even have books handed to me by my pops that are 40+ years old already and I was able to keep them in good condition.