Hello! I’ve recently gotten into collecting pins and putting them on the hats I own. I currently own seven pins, which doesn’t seem like a lot, but they hold a special place in my heart.

Starting off, the first two pins that I got that began “The Collection” were the ones I received when I first enrolled at The University of Georgia, a symbol of the “Arch,” a staple of the University that has three pillars on it that symbolize “Wisdom,” “Justice,” and “Moderation.” I then got a pin of the university’s mascot, a bulldog; nothing too special there, I just wanted a pin of the school's mascot. I had two hats that I wore, so I put a pin on each hat.

The next two I bought were related to a Dungeons and Dragons show (a fantasy tabletop role-playing game) I’ve watched for the past six years called Critical Role. To put it shortly, they've had three campaigns, each one having different characters played by the cast. I bought the pins of two characters from the third campaign, a gnome who is secretly a werewolf and a robot with an unknown dark past. These two are by far my favorite in my “Collection” since Critical Role has basically been with me my whole life.

Moving on to the days leading to Christmas, I’m shopping with my family, and before we leave, a deaf man shows us a card. It roughly said, “I’m deaf, and this is my only source of income.” We bought it because we wanted to help him, and it was in the shape of a gift that said “Merry Christmas,” since no one else in my family wanted it, I took it for myself.

Now it's after Christmas, and apparently, my brother's girlfriend had gotten four tickets to see “The Stranger Things: Experience,” and asked me if I wanted to go, to which I of course said yes. So, we went and had a great time (there was a Stranger Things Pinball machine!), entered into the world of Stranger Things (saw a fake Millie Bobby Brown), spent some valuable time with my brother, and before we left, I went and bought a pin that had the Demogorgon on it, both to commemorate my enjoyment of the series and also to act as a callback to that day.

The last pin was given to me as a surprise gift from my girlfriend after she went to California to play in the band of the UGA football team for the championship game. It simply said “Los Angeles, California,” but it didn’t matter, I still loved it; besides, I don't want to collect pins just to collect them, I want each one to have some sentimental value to them, which I feel I've successfully done.