Matches, Moments, and Collecting Ephemera

On ephemera
“But this moment won’t last,” cried squirrel.
“I know,” said raven, “and isn’t that wonderful?”

Thoughts while making

…the tarblack smell of new rain hitting hot asphalt.

…the thumpsoft sound of a record needle lowering onto moving vinyl.

…the sweetwarmth feel of fingers wrapping around that first mug of hot coffee on a cold morning.

…the sparklelight seen in the twinkling eyes of a passing stranger’s sweet smile.

Technically, ephemera refers to “paper items (such as posters, broadsides, and tickets) that were originally meant to be discarded after use but have since become collectibles.”

It comes from the Greek ephemeros, meaning "short-lived."

More broadly, ephemera is defined as “things that exist or are used or enjoyed for only a short time.”

When I was kid, I was obsessed with matches. I’d sneak a pack from the old ceramic bowl with the chipped lid where they lived in our living room by the red brick fireplace.

I’d slip out of the house and down into the woods behind. And I’d light them. One after another. After another.

I loved the anticipation.

The feeling of thin cardboard between my small fingers.

The fizzlescratch sound of the head pressing against that little line of reddish orange on the matchbook flap.

The leap of flame, where a moment before there was nothing.

All of it. The heat. The acrid smell. The blue turning orange, yellow to smoke.

Then, it was gone.

Ephemera redefined: So-called throwaway moments, memories, experiences, collected and kept.

To exist. To be used. To be enjoyed.

What moments have you collected? Fleeting experiences or passing observations of the everyday that – when you take the moment to slow down, recognize, engage, celebrate – light you up, like flame from paper?