YOUNG people are apparently no longer interested in personal possessions such as records and DVDs. They don’t want to own them because they don’t need to. They rent them, instead.
As long as they have an iPhone or laptop the world is their oyster. Internet firms such as Love Film or Spotify means they have access to music and films for a monthly rental fee. They can clear their shelves and download the latest Lee Child to their ebook reader.
This has made me look afresh at my collections. Do I ever use them? Do I really need them? Shall I make a New Year resolution to get rid of them? Fat chance.
The thing is, they all elicit a memory even though I can’t remember the last time I slipped a film into the DVD player. And will I ever get round to re-reading my complete collection of Bernard Cornwell’s Sharpe novels?
I will not clear my shelves this year. And probably never.
The world would be a poorer place without certain possessions.
