[img]396|left|Alex Campbell||no_popup[/img]I’m a sentimental person. Almost everything I have in my apartment has a special meaning to me. I can usually tell you where something came from and how long I’ve had it. Let’s take a tour of my special things, shall we?
Here in my sweater drawer I have a sweatshirt I got when I was in high school, making it 23 years old, the oldest article of clothing I own. It says “Central Park Conservancy Volunteer.” I got it when I was still an intern in Central Park. That internship led to one of the greatest jobs I’ve ever had, and the beginning of my work with children. The sweatshirt still fits. It’s pretty thin, and it’s starting to get holes at the cuffs, but I will never get rid of it.
The next oldest article of clothing I own is a pair of white boxer shorts from Yale University that my best friend Aysha gave me (or did I buy them?) when she went to Yale in 1988. I can’t remember the last time I wore them, but they stay in my pajama drawer because they remind me of Aysha.
My kitchen is full of memories. Here we have a cup made in Japan, acquired when I lived there for a year, teaching English. In the cup are a variety of chopsticks, from inexpensive ones to fancy ones. My favorites are the ones that are the cheapest. They’re part of a set that has different colored tips—red, green, and purple. I love this set because the mother of my dear friend Satoko gave them to me. She is a kind woman, and Satoko was instrumental in my journey to and in Japan. I also love this set of chopsticks because my former cat Hope liked to chew on them. You can still see the bite marks on the tips of the chopsticks. I had to give Hope away when I moved to Japan, but when I eat my salad with these chopsticks almost every day, I am reminded of Hope, Satoko, Satoko’s mom, and Japan.
I have a cereal box I brought back with me from Germany. It’s a box of Corn Flakes, but everything is written in German. “Kellogg’s Corn Flakes: Die Originalen.” My favorite part is where it says “1% Fett.” I used to have a box of Corn Flakes from Japan, but the cleaning lady threw it away. That made me very upset, but at least I had the foresight to take a picture of it, so I have that.
Parental Memories
In my bathroom is a tube of peppermint Chapstick I’ve had since June 2007. I know that’s how long I’ve had it, because I bought it when my father died. I’m sure I’ll keep the tube even after it’s all used up. Chapstick lasts a long time. From my dad I also have the envelope from a letter he sent to me once. My dad was an engineer, and wasn’t prone to declarations of emotion. On the envelope he put a Love stamp, and then drew a diagram from his name in the return address area to the stamp, with an arrow in the middle, pointing to my name. His way of saying “I love you.”
I have a card my mom sent me in college, just two years before she died. Also in the “Cards of Parental Figures in My Life” file, I have the card that the mom of my best friend in college gave me, right before she committed suicide.
And in the “Not So Sad, Say Something Happy” file, I have a collection of cat whiskers from all three of the cats I’ve owned since I’ve lived in Boston. I keep them in a Ziploc bag. Must be at least fifty whiskers in there. Did you know that cat whiskers just fall out, and that new ones grow in their place? I’m constantly finding them, and into the bag they go.
I have a turkey I made when I was in preschool, and a letter I wrote to Santa when I was five. The thing that is so special to me is that I can put my hands on all of these things in a matter of seconds. Most of these items are out in my apartment, not tucked away in a box in the basement.
Yes, I’m a sentimental person, with a soft spot for objects. Want to see my ticket stub collection?
Ms. Campbell may be contacted at campbellalexandra@hotmail.com
