In today's society a label is placed on every idiosyncratic behaviour that a human being possesses, however some of these labels have no bearing on sensible human practices. One of my Granny's most eccentric behaviours was saving for a "rainy" day.

It wasn't so much pertaining to money, as it was mostly concerning items. Whether it was grocery items, shopping for clothes or sundries. Granny Gheeta always encouraged us never to be "last minute Hannahs or Harrys".

My Granny Gheeta was always preparing, "Just in case there was an emergency". She was always getting ready for Floods, Hurricanes, Earthquakes and the, Oh so dreaded, Nuclear War.

Granny would go to the grocery store and if they would have items on sale, it would really be quite difficult for her to get just one. You see, Granny practiced the "Noah's Ark Philosophy". She had to purchase two of everything or sometimes in triplicate.

I would look at her in amazement, thinking, "Granny are you having a party?"

She would casually respond, "No. But you never know when there might be a shortage. Besides, the items are on sale."

After a while, Granny's pantry began to look like the local grocery store. When she would often say, "I soon come back, I am going to the market."

I would respond, "No need Granny, why don't you just go shopping in the pantry."

Her response would be, "Those items are for a rainy day."

It didn't matter what Granny was shopping for, whether it were clothing and sundries, she often bought in bulk. I never understood the method to her madness until various situations came about.

When a hurricane came to Jamaica and stores were closed and the roads were filled with all sorts of debris and obstacles. Granny Gheeta was never in a quandry or worried about the circumstances. She never ran around frantic or at her wit's end because she had been taken by surprise. All she had to do was, take a trip to her pantry. She was able to sustain the family with her supplies.  There were many times when my Granny rescued her neighbors and friends because she always made sure to have surplus items in case of emergencies.

When it came to shopping for clothes, one would think that Granny had a heavy social schedule. She was always purchasing the most exquisite gowns and saris, just in case......

I often wondered, "Just in case the Queen dropped in, just in case she took ill....."

It was a mystery, yet, Granny always purchased as if expecting a big gala.

Granny's lessons on hoarding was , "Always be prepared."

She would say, "Suppose you get invited out somewhere elegant. Are you going to run around like "a chicken without a head" to try and find a suitable outfit?"

"Wouldn't you rather just saunter to your closet and pick something that's already there? Most of the times when people make last minute purchases, it is never what they want,or they end up paying an astronomical amount on something they barely like."

I pondered her answers for a moment, and realized that there was definitely a method to her madness. Over the many years, I saw my Granny come to the rescue of family members with her bulk buying.

When times were hard and Granny Gheeta had to be frugal with her gift giving, she would say "I love You" with food. Which I believe is a very Jamaican way of how most people express their feelings for loved ones in our culture. Hence, the terminology, "I love you like cooked food."

For Granny, hoarding was a way of saving money, and not making bad or rash choices in times of necessity or emergency.

As I grew older and had places to go and people to see, when I experienced difficulty finding an outfit of my desire, I always knew that I could raid Granny's closet.

She had many saris, evening dresses and Lhengas with the price tags just waiting for someone to give them a night out on the town. Her taste was always classic and elegant, so these items never really went out of style.

Which brings to me to another one of her teachings, "Never buy too many products that are considered a fad, because their life span will be limited. She often stressed it was better to be a classic beauty than a fashion icon."

Granny Gheeta felt that classic beauties never go out of style or become unfashionable. They always get better with time.When it came to proving her fashion points, Granny always referred to Jackie Onassis as an example.

She always reminded, "Everything that becomes old, will be new again, that's a fact of life."

So although many people in modern day society may scoff at folks who buy items in bulk and save most things. I have to say, that there is merit in some of these practices.

Although, in today's society, for many, space is often the issue. Sometimes we may want to practice preparedness, but not at the risk of overpowering ourselves with household items and groceries.

Once I matured into adulthood, and my Granny Gheeta got older, I also realized that she had developed an unusual attachment to certain old items.

It seemed that as people got older they sometimes developed the "pack rat" syndrome. They found it hard to divest themselves of certain paraphenelia from the past. Suddenly every household item or object had history and sentimentality and they could not bear to part with them.

In situations like these, one had to take the "bull by the horn" and implement organization. If the items were not used in the past decade, then it was time to say, "Adios Amigos!"

Because of her age, Granny Gheeta had a difficult time with this concept.

She defended her stance by saying, "The younger generation had no reverence for preservation of legacy!!!!"

I believe in some instances she was correct, because I have seen trends experience a cyclical rejuvenation. However, holding on to magazines, circus and theatre tickets from the year of naught really served no purpose unless one was planning to open a museum.

Therefore, as we approached the modern times it became a labor of love helping my Granny Gheeta let go of some of the baggage she hoarded from the past. During these efforts I realized how wonderful and nostalgic past memories can be. I also became aware that traveling light could be overrated, especially when the truly meaningful memories have been omitted from our lives.

Most people may say, that one knows when he/she has arrived because they travel minus baggage and only bring themselves. But I think that when one truly arrives he/she knows just what to bring from the past, so that they can enter the future and the present with confidence.

Tags: Granny and I: Granny Gheeta's Views on Hoarding