by Kenneth Semien Sr.
I used to watch friends display their personal collections. Inspired, I asked them why they started collecting particular items. One collected unique dolls in honor of her grandmother's attraction to dolls. Another collected motorcycle replicas out of a love for sport. Others had no specific reason at all. If I started a collection, it had to be meaningful. I wanted it to spark conversations and inspire others, as well as myself.
A presentation on the eagle captivated me. I related to its keen vision, mirroring my own desire to look beneath the surface and solve challenging circumstances. I also admired how it rises above danger, and I was reminded about soaring above obstacles and temporary challenges. I began my collection by placing miniature eagles on my office shelf. Visitors noticed them and asked about the display. I explained that they represented my drive to improve and achieve. Over the years, friends gifted me various designs, and now small and large eagles surround my home as I continue my collection.
I resonate deeply with maintaining balance. Because most of us know what it is like to swing between extremes based on our circumstances. That instability fosters neither fairness nor peace. To keep that reminder close, I started a small collection of the scales of justice. A friend of mine gave me one of the greatest gifts when she handed me a neat table top design of the scales of justice that had an eagle sitting on top in the center.