Tchotchkes and Talismans

I had this title in mind for my post...but I would be lying if I said I didn't have to look it up to make sure these words meant what I thought they meant. And how to spell Tchotchkes.

Both words basically mean trinkets (keeping with the T theme).

When I was teaching school, I became familiar with the common childhood need to collect things--knick-knacks, trifles...basically junk. Kids would collect and keep the strangest little things and keep them in the strangest little places: an eraser, a battery, and a bullion cube in a pencil bag; A rock, a cheap earring, a button, and a tiny wooden monkey in the pocket of dirty overalls; A crumpled photograph, a marker top, a checker in a soggy paper cup.

I'm thinking of this today because Mac has a new fascination with the most random toy--a plastic fishtank. It's a toy fishtank, just the right size for a two year old to tote around. He's got his treasures inside, currently: a pink rubber duck, a quickly fading dandelion, a variety of acorns, a few puzzle pieces, and a tiny plastic boat.

Why are these objects important? Who knows? But they are. They travel with Mac in the fishbowl for unknown, childhood--maybe magical?--reasons. My grown-up instinct is to throw away anything not useful. Maybe I'm missing something. Maybe I should follow Mac's lead. My collection would be: a river rock, some broken crayons, a Japanese Maple leaf, a replacement Christmas tree light. In a wooden bowl. Why? The same reason as Mac: Because those are things I like. Why not?