14-3-2025
In the corner of my eye, I see Albert holding a bright yellow object. He is cleaning it with a cloth, carefully rubbing it. When I approach, I notice it is a small toy tiger, made of plastic, with a battery compartment so it can make growling noises and move its paws. When I ask why he is interested in a toy tiger, Albert tells me that Maarten occasionally allows him to bring toys he finds for his grandchildren. We both look at the small tiger and realise that below the dirt, the tiger is damaged. ‘Hmm, perhaps not this one’ Albert says. I ask him whether he tells his grandchildren about the origin of the toys. That he finds them in between the waste. When Albert answers evasively, ‘Grandpa brought this from work’, I realise I asked an awkward question and attempt to correct myself by suggesting that it could be educational for a child to learn that a perfectly working toy can be found in the trash. Albert replies that one of his grandsons has a little toy car that he loves so much, he sleeps with it every night. The car is broken. It has no doors, windows, or steering wheel. Still, the boy loves it. I smile and return to my work. Albert is right. Children know what is valuable, and how to hold on to it. Perhaps it is only later in life that we learn to discard