Ordinary Objects

This week’s journal entry:

Make a list of things, ordinary objects, you have held onto all these years because you simply can’t throw them away. In a sentence or two, explain why you’ve held on to these objects.

By Laura Black

As I’ve moved around and downsized, I did get rid of a lot of items; however, there are certain things that always make the journey with me. Here are some of the things I’ve held on to and why:

Pictures – I love pictures and looking back at past memories, so these go wherever I go. I always want to be reminded of my past, and these are a great way to do just that.

Books – I have a small library of books. I do tend to go through them from time to time to downsize, but it never works for long because I just get more. I love reading, and I love owning the books I read, especially if they’re good reads. Books have helped to make me what I am. I can get lost in the fictional stories and gain more human experience knowledge, and I can gain educational knowledge with my textbooks. Without these books, I would not feel complete.

Journals – I have every journal I have ever written in. Of course, when I was younger, it was a diary. I have those too. I keep them as a reminder of what my life experience has been and what my thoughts, feelings, and emotions were during those times. Perhaps I will turn them into a book one day.

A rose-shaped card from my mom – she wrote me a card while I was in college to keep me motivated and tell me how proud she was of me. I have held on to it in case I ever need that reminder. It reminds me of what I’m capable of and what I’ve achieved thus far.

A T-shirt from when I was a kid – It’s a light blue T-shirt that says Laura Ann on the front, and I wrote my last name on the back side of it with a permanent black marker. I don’t even know how old I was when I wore it. I was probably around 3 or 4. I don’t even really know why I still have it, but it reminds me of my childhood, so I keep it around.

Those are just a few things that have followed me from place to place over the years. What about you? What have you held on to, and why?