Memento Miscellany

Scott Hardie | April 27, 2018
Do certain objects unexpectedly feel like a connection to the past for you? I expect that feeling for souvenirs and picture frames that are intended to evoke memories, but I find myself surprised when I think about how certain ordinary objects conjure up memories from long ago, probably because they lasted much longer than I ever expected.

I just threw away a gray pair of sweatpants that I bought in 2003. I was wearing them when I learned PHP to run this website. Matthew Preston visited me in Sarasota in 2005 and borrowed them for his workout. I was wearing them in 2007 when a good friend came over on my sick day to give me two weeks notice at the company where I was his boss. I have worn them frequently since, as comfortable evening wear or on lazy weekend days at home when I didn't want to get dressed. I never would have guessed that a pair of sweatpants would have endured that long, especially for a wearer my size and especially being my only pair, but apparently they were a pretty good purchase.

Last year, I replaced my leather wallet after the lining came loose. I thought back to its origin and realized that I got it in high school! My parents gave it to me as a birthday gift when I was 14 or 15, reasoning that it was time to keep better track of my cash and cards. That wallet was in my pocket for more than twenty years; I could not even imagine how many life experiences it must have been present for or how many times I must have pulled it out to buy something. When I examined it in my hand before throwing it away, it was like feeling a physical connection back in time.

I don't have a problem with throwing away objects (being a hoarder must be awful), but with certain unexpectedly long-lived items, I can't help but think about how long they've been there for me when I do throw them away. I wonder if I'm the only one.