Letting go of the stress

David Geffen, the founder of Asylum Records, Geffen Records, and Dreamworks Animation, has an art collection valued at more than $2.3 billion. Jay-Z, Jerry Seinfeld, and Jay Leno are all known for their entertainment careers, but also their large car collections.

Everyday folks collect things too. Some people collect antique furniture and vinyl records. Others collect comic books or baseball cards. I have my own crazy collections; I like to collect “nervous nellies.”

Say what? 

I collect stress toys and fidget spinners. You know the type, anything that you can play mindlessly with your hands to release nervous tension. 

Oh, I’m not really a collector per se, but I’ve got all kinds of toys, everything from ball bearing spinners, little cube noisemakers, “don’t let stress stress you out” stress balls (say that one three times), multi-colored Koosh balls, bouncy balls of all types, and seashells tossed and made smooth by the sea that I picked up at the beach. I keep one or two out on my desk at all times, the others packed away in a desk drawer.

Summer is a good time. I’m less stressed so that’s a plus, but it’s also an opportune time because my wife, who is a special education teacher usually starts to buy stuff for her classroom. She’ll buy essentials like pencils, paper, cleaning supplies, and small snacks — things that should be provided but her urban school can not afford. In addition, she’ll usually buy her kids small reward which usually have some stress function, such as penny race cars, marble tracks, stretch toys, and miniature Rubik’s cubes.

Since the “Brian Educational Fund” covers the costs of these extras and various other school supplies throughout the year, she usually throws me a bone by letting me keep one or two of the toys. My take this year, a gnarly looking purple spider-like spinner, a snail-like cup creature, and a straw-like tube that when pushed together makes funny kazoo sounds.

I don’t know how I started gathering stress reducers, but it’s become a fun side hobby. I can’t say if these new toys will work, but I’m willing to give them a shot. If my collection helps me smile and gives me a laugh or two, I figure why not.

You gotta laugh, right?