Two posts in one day? What in the hell.
So four months ago I promised my friend Uroosa I would dedicate a blogspot to her because it was her birthday. Happy birthday to one of my best buds, Uroosa. Sorry it is now nearly June.
Uroosa was one of the first people I became friends with at the beginning of high school. I remember thinking she was really shy until one day in our year seven music class she asked to be my partner. I don't think anyone has ever laughed so much at the DJ function on a keyboard like our year seven selves did. Nostalgia, I believe, is one of the best human emotions the human brain has accumulated. I love the idea of it being unique to one person - one thing, for example, a piece of music could be a catalyst for all the sadness a person experienced at a time period in their life. Sounds in people's ears act as a way of channelling time and memories. That is so, so wonderful. And to another person, that same piece of music is a catalyst for all their previous happiness. Nostalgia is entirely subjective, and I love that.
Recently, Amanda Palmer released a song called ''The Thing About Things.'' It's beautiful; simple, raw and emotional - the song details Amanda's experience with objects in her life gaining sentimental value. It struck multiple heart strings for me. The reasons being is because I'm exactly the same when it comes to objects. I am a self confessed hoarder due to nostalgia. I love having things that remind me of the person I am, things that reflect my personality. And getting rid of things that do that is hard. It's like getting rid of a little bit of me. You can listen to it here. I strongly suggest you do.
Recently, I created my own memory box. In this was dumb little box are anecdotes which I can take with me in my life's journey, as a way of satisfying the ever present nostalgia I have. Things like concert tickets, cards my friends have got me, etc - quirky things I've picked up along the way. My mother, who noticed I had made it, then decided to give me a bunch of objects which she says have sentimental value. At first I thought they would be the same type of objects I was collecting - semi useless, scratty looking things. But when I looked in the box she gave me, I was seriously so overwhelmed.
She gave me her wedding ring. My parents are not together, nor have they been for a long time. This doesn't bother me, nor did it ever bother me as a child, but looking back in a way it kind of sucked not getting to know what they were like as a couple. They were together for quite a long time and did lots of cool things like live in Australia together. It's weird to think I'll never fully understand that. Only through a series of half spoken tales and old photographs do I really learn about my parent's relationship. I mull about what my life would be like if my parents were together, but move on when I realize it doesn't so much matter anyway. It's j nice to know my mother trusts me to keep that half spoken memory by giving me the ring.
She gave me the first pendant from Louis' collar when we first got him. My dog has been a huge part of my life. Not only offering my companionship, I really have learnt how to care for something. I've not been exposed to children that much, nor anyone who has been in a vulnerable situation and required my deep level of care, so with Louis - as a dog, who needs a little bit of the human's help, has taught me essentially the ability to look after something. He's also just a total babe in every way and I love him so much.
She gave me the only things of her Father's that she has, a coin which he used to carry around, and a letter he sent to his brother join the war. I've never met anyone outside of my immediate family, nor do we discuss our family history too much, but I always ponder what it would be like to meet them - in a Doctor Who-esque way, I'd travel back in time and I'd pretend to be someone who doesn't matter to them, and just watch them go about their daily life. Having the letter, and this weird mysterious coin in my possession can only be described as overwhelming. I really feel the history interwoven in them when I pick them up. My mother also, similarly, gave me beads which belonged to my father's grandma. In a really strange way, having these objects fulfils the fact I never got to meet them. It provides me with a sense of their character, and creates an odd but truly unique connection between them and I.
She gave me a lot of other things, too, but those are the ones that stand out to me. The box is now not only a selection of my history, but the histories of others, too. Because That's the Thing About Things, they can start to mean things, nobody actually said.
I'll be doing BEDJ next month. I wanted to do Blog Everday in April, but alas I didn't have enough time in April so I'm doing it in june. Kinda like the ring BEDJ has more, anyway. See you around next time, folks.
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