Treasures

There was a moment in my life when I was addicted to shows such as Hardcore Pawn and Storage Hunters and many other shows that dealt with rummaging through peoples trash and finding valuable items from the past. I always found it fascinating to see what items were valuable. Old coke signs were very valuable, old machines, things that involved pieces of history were always the most important.

Watching these shows gave me a bright idea. I would save something that is very popular now and pass it on from generation to generation and then one day that item will be worth millions. I always think about what this item would be, maybe an iPhone, a video game system, maybe political stickers from Barack Obama's campaign or Hillary Clinton's campaign since Obama was the first African American and Hillary might be the first woman president.  (old political stickers from famous presidents campaigns are also very valuable)

To think about what will be worth something in the future I had to look to items that i saw on the show that were worth a lot and I think for the most part they have something in common. They had a huge role in history and were iconic. Whether you like iPhone's or not every time one comes out there are stories of people waiting weeks and months in advance in line outside a store to get one. And that means something. Even though it might not seem like a big deal now because iphones are everywhere they will become a part of history and become an important part of this current time. Just like old coke signs are valuable today, they must of been very common back then and no one would think of the worth they would have in the future. But coke is a part of history. Things that are worth a lot played a role in some of the biggest historic moments good or bad. Old weapons that have a part in history such as the civil war are worth thousands. I just saw a civil war rifle for $15,000. We love things that have history. Things that did not cost very much back then now are worth much more because of the meaning behind them. We cherish our history.

What we leave behind.

Many of of do not consider what we leave behind. Our trash and possessions tell about us more than we care to admit.

I have a friend that collects antiques from the trash dumps and burn sites from way back the 1800's.  We have gathered old shoes, pots and pans, glass-ware, and etc.

One thing that I find most interesting is the leftover metal handles that where on lard pales. Lard was used for everything it seams like, yet for some reason only the handles remain behind.

The people did not use them or even keep them for anything, yet the handles are a clue as to the diet of what was around at the time. One camp we visited was a gold rush camp. Yet the only remaining evidence there was anything here was a few glass shards and lard pale handles.

What will we leave for others to find in our dumps and burn piles?

- BOOK

MASKS

We watched the TNG episode "Masks" as it dealt with the subject of material culture and how even when a civilization is gone, the things made by it are left behind.

I saw that this episode reflects our own cultures because our possessions can help us discover new things about ourselves. The show also explores our desire to explore and change. Many times what we hold dear are more symbolic in nature. Many times shapes and objects transcend cultural bounders and show a baseline that all of are cultures have.

When I thing about our modern day i wonder what will be left behind from our era. Sadly I think our trash and electronic garbage , nesdead of a wonderfull archive of our lives and valuves will be all that remains of us.

I hope we can change that.

- Book

My Life Show

While watching Star Trek Next Generation Masks episode I could not help to think what this show meant for people who are huge fans. While watching that episode I thought that maybe people liked to watch it because it was a different world. It touched the adventurous side of people and their dreamer side as well. It certaintly did inspire people so much that they asked NASA to name one of their space shuttles the enterprise after the ship in Star Trek. I could connect to those who watched this show for those reasons because I also have a show of my own that inspires me.

The show that has a special place in my heart is How I Met Your Mother. One wouldn't think that this would be the show to inspire and one that I go to during tough times in life but it is. Even though it is more of a comedy the show deals with many real life issues. This show inspired me to live in New York and that is what I plan to do one day. In my opinion the best shows and movies are the ones that move you, inspire, and just make you feel something powerful. How I Met Your Mother greatly affected my life. I know the kind of person I wish to be from this show. I know the kind of relationship I want and the kind of life I want to live. Ted is a complete hopeless romantic and when things weren't going that great for me in that part of my life I would look to Ted and could not help but to get inspired by his perseverance. Lily and Marshall were a great example of relationships and the kind that I would like to have. Barney was a good example of having fun and just not to stress out so much and enjoy life. Robin was a good example of a hard working women striving for her dreams.
And together they were perfect and were an inspiration of friendship and living a great life.

To this day I watch episodes when I feel like I need a pick me up and some inspiration. I cannot help but smile when watching it. It is strange to think that this show, this picture on a screen, that is not real life and was thought up in someones mind can affect me and other people so much. I sometimes meet people who love the show as well and we could talk for hours of the things we learned from it, the laughs we got our favorite episodes and so on. When people love How I Met Your Mother like I do, I can connect to them so much easier. Television shows and movies can change peoples lives and its amazing to think about the reach that they have. Even across countries. This show is one of the most important things to me. How I Met Your Mother is my life show.

How many likes can you get?

My mom has always been very strict when it comes to cellphones and social media. I did not have my own phone until I was in middle school and it was only to call my parents, it had no texting and it was just a generic flip phone. I did not receive my truly own phone until I was in high school. It was this cool little black phone and the screen would flip sideways so it looked like a TV. I finally had texting but no internet. When I was first in High school the big social media craze was myspace but it did not last very long. And then all of a sudden facebook happened and then twitter and then instagram. My senior year of high school is when I finally got involved in social media.

When I first got Facebook it had a negative impact on me. I was on it all the time. But worse it made me feel bad about myself. I am and have always been extremely shy. So it has been difficult to make friends. And I did not realize how unpopular I was until I joined Facebook. Everyone had hundreds of friends. And I could barely get to fifty. When other people posted things they would have hundreds of likes and many comments. And well as for me maybe my two friends would like the things I posted. I began to place my self worth on how many Facebook friends I had and how many likes I got. This had a very negative impact on my self confidence and self worth.

It took me a long time to realize the wrong I was doing. Why did I count on social media so much to make me feel good? My eyes finally opened and I realized that social media is not important. And  even though I did not have a lot of "Facebook friends" I had a few really good real life friends. Social media can be used as an escape and I saw it first hand. When things were not going good for me, posting and getting likes made me feel like I was important. But its a deadly cycle because getting likes helped but not getting a lot of likes or wanting more likes would leave me feeling worse in the end. I still have social media but my view on it is completely different. I use it to see pictures my family or friends post. I have been able to stay connected and reconnect with friends, I like to watch funny videos or get news stories. I think the problem with social media is that people do not realize that it's not important to get many likes and have many friends, it shouldn't be an escape, we cannot forget about our real life. And that was a very important lesson for me to learn.

Craigslist

Another form of social networking is the online places to sell or buy services and goods and/or meet locals, etc.

First and foremost I HATE Social networks! They warp peoples minds and serve as a form of addiction.  

So how is craigslist different? Well first it serves and a local connection to help people connect and git rid of stuff they do not need.

As an amateur massage therapist, on occasion I list my services.
But every time I do , I get  creeps wanting services clearly not listed! Or I get someone that does not want to give me their number, but if I sign up on one of the many many adulterous websites or "adult dating" sites, I can find it.

Aside from it being a clear scam would I even want to be around someone like that?

The answer is no and no to social networks.

If you want to meet me, feel free to meet me, just not behind an computer!

- BOOK

My Escape

When you walk into my room the first thing that you would notice is a big book shelve full of books. But this is only the beginning of it. In my closet there are probably 100 or so books. Even though I have read all these books and most of them I will never read again I cannot get rid of them. They are important to me.

I have loved to read since I was very young. I would even ask for books for Christmas (and I still do). Books for me took me into imaginary worlds. They made me look at life differently and made me believe that great things can happen. Some books I read for the fairytale in them, some books for the history and the incredible stories. But most importantly books are my escape. When life gets tough I can open a book and be transported elsewhere and suddenly I am indulged in the book. Some of the most important books in my life belong to my favorite author, John Grisham. His books inspired me to reach for my future goals, which are to become a lawyer. His books took me into the world of law and reassured that this is what I want to do in life.

The stories of all the books I have are important, but it is not just the story in the book but the books themselves. When I walk into my room and see the books on my shelf I remember all the memories and things those books taught me. I cannot get rid of the books because they are more than books, they represent memories,  lessons in life, dreams, goals, they are my escape. And even though I do not need all those books I hope to share them with someone one day and watch them enjoy them as much as I did. Looking at these books I feel a sense of comfort. I make excuses to not get rid of them such as I'll read them again, or I have to save them for younger generations, but in reality they hold a sentimental value of being there for me when I needed them. And when something has been there for you, you cannot easily get rid of it.

“Little Piles of Sanity”

Many years ago I had a friend who was an artist for the MTDB in San Diego.  Her office was somewhat cluttered with all the requisite things to fulfill her duties there.  One day I had to run to her office, and she was very upset and frantically cleaning.  When I inquired as to what her troubles were, she said that the president of the company had chastised for her mess.  Julie was freaking out because she just knew that once her office was in a presentable state for her boss she would never be able to find anything again.  Julie worked and lived better surrounded in stuff, in chaos.  When Julie was earning her degree, she said that her work areas were the same way.  She found herself constantly apologizing to her professors for this situation.  One day a professor stopped her mid-sentence.  With a smile he said that he completely understood, and he preferred to refer to his untidiness as “little piles of sanity.”

I can completely relate to these people.  As a rule, I can always locate a necessary item without a second thought.  There are times however when the “little piles of sanity” do get out of hand.  When this occurs it is an indication that my life is getting out of balance, and I need to take a serious look at my state of mind.  I no longer thrive in chaos as it turns to sensory input overload.  I am culling my life of the unnecessary and doing what I can to keep the piles conducive to sanity, and out of the opposite!

The Home of Dreams

I can’t accurately remember when I began drawing my dream home, however it was before my teen years.  It consisted of four offset separate blocks, the living area, kitchen area, and the bedrooms, it also had a basement which would not have been visible from the outside. As you walked into the house, the living area was to your left, and kitchen to the right.  Directly ahead was the doors to the glass elevator which was the beginning of the journey to the sleeping areas and the access to the basement.

The home was quite exquisite, with a stream running all around the first floors, bridges crossing the streams, and a waterfall in the living area.  The circular fire pit in the center of the room was surrounded by large step-like tiers with pillows in lieu of furniture. 

The kitchen had a large island in the center which had the sinks and dishwashers.  There was a lovely eating nook with huge windows to enjoy the mountainous view.  The outside wall held the ovens, two regular, and one large brick bread oven.  The basement was the party area, with separate rooms for a pool table, Ping-Pong table and a bar dance-hall.  It also had storage rooms his and hers restrooms and the laundry.

The bedrooms, only two, were accessed by riding the elevator.  At the top there was a glassed in lounge area with couches to enjoy the view (Also a good place to rest after climbing the massive set of stairs).  Off to either side was a door, with a long glassed in staircase leading back down into either the guest or master bedroom.  Both rooms resembled caves and were 30 feet high. The master had a ceiling to floor waterfall with a natural pool at the bottom, the guest room had a smaller version.  To access the bed you climbed a few steps up onto a grassy knoll, the custom made round waterbed was level with the grass.  The rooms were open and airy despite their cavern-like feel; the only closed off portion was for the toilets, as well face it, that’s kind of personal, and often an unpleasant sharing experience.  The showers were large round and open, with the shower-heads dropping down from the ceiling, a large soaking tub surrounded by myriad candles was also available for hours of enjoyment.

This was my dream home.  The years of experience has shown me that when all is said and done, I would be better off with my second choice.  Two side by side well insulated cabooses, one for sleeping and the restroom, the other the kitchen/living area. Must have is indoor plumbing, a dishwasher, and hopefully in the mountains.  Doubtful this will ever happen but one thing is for sure, or me, smaller IS better!

Stuff and Stuff, and more $%^& Stuff!

In our world of mass consumerism, there is a small but growing movement for minimalism. This is not a denial of pleasure or possessions, but rather the philosophical understanding of the core idea that we humans but need little to enrich our lives.


So I am trying to become minimalist, because I have found that the things I own have become a jail cell of debt and unhappiness.

Jesus, Buddha, and others have long ago shown that a simple life is better for you and others.

I strive to understand more of the world or material possessions through an objective eye, not swede by the facts show through out this class, that advertisements, the socially constructs of our cultures, T.V, etc. No longer show us things to have, they tell us we are wrong not only for not having, but not wanting as well.

- BOOK

Designer’s Hideous Tastes and Discontinuance

In the movie Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium, Henry the ‘mutant’ accountant was asked to assess the value of a toy store.  After one look at the chaotic office, and realizing that bookkeeping was not Mr. Magorium’s forte, Henry asked him why he would risk severe penalties by an audit after all this time. This is the conversation which followed:

Mr. Magorium; “I’m leaving.”

Henry: “The store?” 

M.M: “The world.  You see these shoes?  I found these in a tiny little shop in Tuscany and fell in love this these so entirely, I bought enough to last my whole life. (chuckle) This is my last pair. (chuckle)”

One has to admire his foresight considering Mr. Magorium lived to the ripe old age of 243.  After finding and loosing things that work well for me in footwear and other articles of clothing, it would be nice to have developed this wisdom far earlier in my lifetime. 

Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium, 2007, Stupid Zebra LLC; 2008, 20^th Century Fox Home Entertainment LLC