The Things I Carry

[shadow-petra]

We're reading the book The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brian in school, and my assignment was to write about the things I carried. I'm kinda curious what things you carry that are important/something you need to carry.

I am part of a cycle. I am a horse, according to the Chinese horoscope. If you don’t go by the Chinese horoscope, I am a Virgo. I don’t really go by horoscopes, but I think it’s a cool thing people can have fun with. I carry a love for the stars and their beauty.
I carry my parents’ agnostic beliefs in spirits before and after life. My father rarely tells me weird stories, so I tend to believe him, especially when there’s physical evidence on my body. My mom believed that before a child was born, its spirit would hang around its parents and house. While the mother is pregnant, nothing big in the house should be moved. At this time, my dad didn’t believe this. He was making an alter for my grandmother. The wood was too short for the required measurements, so he took two pieces of wood, and connected them in the middle of the alter. He also accidentally lost his grip on the sand grinder, and ended up denting the side wood. I was born with a straight line down my forehead and a hole in my right ear. Of course, the hole closed up, but you can still feel where it had been. My dad was sure not to do anything big when my mom was pregnant with my sister.
I carry a need to see new things. I carry my mom’s love for travel. I like to experience different cultures, foods, and landscapes. Someday I want to see Ireland’s lush, green fields and Italy’s vibrant, sunny vineyards. We’re physically similar, but I consider that to be sort of an understatement. Sure, we have a similar build and thick straight hair, but I think it is special that we carry beauty marks on the exact same place on our bodies. Both of us have beauty marks on our right shoulder and lower neck. I carry my dad’s curiosity. How do things work? Why is it this way? What will happen if I eat this? When will the world blow up? I’m surprised I haven’t been seriously injured yet…knock on wood. Of course, I carry something from my dad. Short Stature.
I am the shortest person volleyball team. Oh, height is very important in volleyball. Because of that, I used to carry a lot of envy for my tall friends. But most of the envy dissipated and turned to satisfaction when I began to carry the title of libero, or official defense specialist. Liberos are often short and constantly go in for the tall hitters. For that reason, I carry the laughter of my friends when I warm up and sub in for Monica, the tallest girl on the team.
I carry scars as I carry my desire to play volleyball, which gives me the scars. They disappear and reappear all over my knees, but the long dark line that runs along my right thigh is one I will always carry. While setting up the volleyball nets, my thigh scraped against a cart, leaving me with a large cut and two long strips of bruised muscle running alongside the cut. It’s the sacrifice my petite body must receive for carrying a helpful, caring soul. Obviously, volleyball scars aren’t the only ones I carry.
I carry scars in my heart. Not from boyfriends or crushes, but from a memory from middle school that still haunts me to this day. If I never met him, would I be more outgoing? Will I ever open up to a boy my age without thinking about harassment? I wish I can withdraw this memory and such distrust it has filled my future with, but it is a two and a half year nightmare an adolescent girl had to face. To erase something that affects how I think today would be ignorant, and I am far from naïve.
I felt small -well, smaller- when I entered high school. Paranoia took over me after middle school. I started to carry a stainless steel spinning ring my friend got for me in Barcelona on my right middle finger. It gives me a sense of protection. It also helps me relieve stress whenever I carry a burden.
When spinning my ring is not enough, I take my stress out on sports. My stress is best relieved while hitting volleyballs. Now a carry a pair of arms that is completely different in strength. Figure skating, biking, and swimming-especially swimming- help out as well. I carry a love for water. Before I had actual homework and research and my mom worked full time, she used to take us to the aquarium, where I watched the fish and penguins swim freely. To glide through and float in the water, like there’s nothing pushing down on you, is the best feeling in the world. When I am in the water, I carry nothing.

[zeroguy]

I carry around a water bottle nearly everywhere I go. It is comforting in times of both boredom and anxiety.

Perhaps sometime I will continue this with something more meaningful.

Edit: Spinning ring? Cursory searching has yielded me naught.

[Dr. Mobius]

I carry a chunk of titanium and silicon in my chest, as well as an ID card for it that allows me to set off the alarms at airport security without getting tasered or cavity searched.

[Oliver Dale]

I don't mean to ignore this topic because I think it's a good one, but I really don't ever consistently carry anything with me (other than, perhaps, a green pen). But the whole card-carrying titanium thingie made me think.

We have a similar thing we give to patients who are injected/implanted with radioactive materials (seeds or radiopharmaceuticals). It's a little card that says, basically, "I've undergone a medical procedure and am a bit radioactive from it. I know I set off your alarm, but please don't shoot me; I'm not a terrorist."

But then I always thought, wouldn't it be possible that the terrorists could get a hold of one of these cards? Does the TSA every follow up on them?

[Young Val]

one of the closest books to perfect ever, in my opinion.

[Mich]

I carry around my cell phone in my left pocket. I have my keys and spare change in my right pocket. My wallet goes in my right back pocket. If any of these thing are missing, I feel off for the whole day, and will constantly get distracted. Even the change.

As for non-material things, I carry around a constant internal monologue. It narrates. Sometimes it blogs, and that's kind of annoying. Sometimes it carries out conversations over IM about the events currently going on. It analyzes my actions, and "carries" on about pretty much everything.

I also carry around the need for organization and pattern, and this itself makes me carry around the constant question of if I'm obsessive-compulsive or just neurotic. Combine that with paragraph two...

[Young Val]

i carry my ipod and id, a little cash and an atm card, chapstick and about a zillion pens, but no paper.

i carry bandaids and gauze and first aid tape and neosporin, especially in the summer.

i carry my cellphone and gum and always a book. when i was in a relationship i also carried birth control and condoms.

i carry lots of hair elastics and barrettes. and usually some small trinket for courage or luck.

i used to carry cigarettes and a lighter, but not anymore.

i sometimes carry a camera. i usually carry my keys (although i forget them entirely too often).

tomorrow i think i'll carry my two stuffed animals as well. i feel like i'll need a hug.

[Dr. Mobius]

I don't mean to ignore this topic because I think it's a good one, but I really don't ever consistently carry anything with me (other than, perhaps, a green pen). But the whole card-carrying titanium thingie made me think.

We have a similar thing we give to patients who are injected/implanted with radioactive materials (seeds or radiopharmaceuticals). It's a little card that says, basically, "I've undergone a medical procedure and am a bit radioactive from it. I know I set off your alarm, but please don't shoot me; I'm not a terrorist."

But then I always thought, wouldn't it be possible that the terrorists could get a hold of one of these cards? Does the TSA every follow up on them?

That's pretty much all mine says. It has my name, the model numbers for the ICD and the wires, and emergency contact info for my cardiologist and the company that made the thing should it go off or malfunction.

I don't think TSA could do much about it should a terrorist get ahold of one. As easy as it is to forge official documents, these would be a piece of cake. Not that it would do much good for someone trying to smuggle illicit material through security. It's not like a get-out-of-jail-free card. You'll still be searched by security and probably a little more thoroughly than you would be otherwise. In my case, the metal would set off the metal detector arch and I can't be wanded because the signals from the wand could interfere with its electronics, so I'd probably be frisked.

Luckily though, I'm not too fond of flying and have never been on an airplane in my life and just the one helicopter - which I don't remember for obvious reasons.

[Claire]

We did this same project when I read that book, only I really don't carry anything around with me consistantly, not even a cell phone.

[Petra456]

I carry around my cell phone at all times.

I carry a little make up, my purse, and my wallet.

I carry my debit card and ID wherever I go.

I carry my camera in my purse.

I always carry one pen, chapstick, my keys, a hair tie, and one stamp.

I carry my ring on a chain around my neck.

[Mahatma]

I like this.

I carry around everything I've ever read, heard, seen or experienced. Perhaps this is an exaggeration, but I've come to admit that I do have an incredible memory.

I carry my past in a concealed compartment where you wouldn't ever notice it -- the good, the bad, and the neutral, all tucked away as carefully as possible.

I carry music. Always in my head, no matter what, and often coming out of my mouth, with or without me realising it.

Physically, I always carry around a purse or bag that has my test kit and some honey in it. This is actually quite annoying because I can't even go off and take a short walk down the street without it. One of the sucky parts of real life.

[Mich]

I like this.
I carry music. Always in my head, no matter what, and often coming out of my mouth, with or without me realising it.

Forgot about this one.

[Dr. Mobius]

It's rather amusing and a little sad that this thread started with intangible thoughts and expirences a person carries with them in their mind and heart, yet everone else started listing physical objects that are on their person more ofthe than not.

[shadow-petra]

It's rather amusing and a little sad that this thread started with intangible thoughts and expirences a person carries with them in their mind and heart, yet everone else started listing physical objects that are on their person more ofthe than not.

Oh, I wrote about intangible thoughts just because I thought it flowed better. Actually, it just came out. I meant to write about physical things as well, but after I finished writing that piece, I couldn't write anymore because of a page limit. But:

I carry keys with a 1 GB retractable memory card, so I'll always be prepared in case of an emergency while in the yearbook room. There's also a little volleyball keychain I got from my captains this year, so v-ball will always be near me.

I carry my cellphone, some kinda of candy/gum, and lipbalm

Spinning ring? Cursory searching has yielded me naught.

It's a stainless steel or titanium ring that spins...haha. One layer fits on your finger, the second layer on the first layer.

[Mich]

I've heard them called worry rings, if that helps. Because... because you worry them, you see?

[eggbalancer]

I actually AM one of those TSA guys that frisk people at the airport. I know, you're jealous. You'd be less jealous if you knew that guys only frisk guys and girls only frisk girls. Anyway, to answer your question, a card doesn't really get you out of anything at the airport. Old men with titanium hips come through all the time with those cards, and we still use a hand-held metal detector to determine that they are carrying a bunch of other metal stuff and flashing a card that says, "It's just my hip, really!" And if you have a pacemaker, you get the full-body pat-down. Loads of fun. So if you're a terrorist, we'll pretty much be ignoring your forged card anyway.

As far as what I carry, during my day job, I carry my keys in my front right pocket, my cell phone in my front left pocket, and a pen and razor knife in my side pocket (or back pocket if I'm not wearing work jeans). Then when I go to the airport, I have my phone in my left pocket, plastic baggies in my right rear pocket, a spare set of rubber gloves in my left rear pocket, and a stack of Junior TSA Officer stickers to bribe kids into putting their teddy bears through the x-ray.
And I always have enough emergency supplies in my truck to survive for at least a week. If I'm camping or 4-wheeling, I throw in enough stuff to survive for a month. Call me paranoid.

[Dr. Mobius]

I carry around my cell phone at all times.

Except for the times when you leave it in the other end of the house.


Eggy, have you ever gotten to/had to taser someone?

Oh and you might be interested in this as an addition to your survival gear. We make those where I work. There're basically the commercial variant of the military MREs which we also make. Supposedly they're available at Wal-Mart, but I've never seen them (or really ever looked for them for that matter).

[Oliver Dale]

Have you ever EATEN an MRE? I would rather chew on a tire and die of toxicosis. While burning alive. Watching Oprah reruns.

In Jersey.

[Eaquae Legit]

My keys, always. Complete with FOX40 whistle, chapstick, mini-sharpie, and little rubber dragon finger-puppet. If I'm working, my work keys get attached, and my emergency CPR mask.

My wallet, with ID and assorted cards.

If I'm working, a pair of nitrile gloves. Often I have those even when I'm not working. Never know when there might be an emergency involving bodily fluids. Or some other gunky task. Gloves are so useful.

Faint indignation at misspellings on public/commercial documents and advertisements.

Some sort of food, in case I go hypoglycemic and there's nothing readily available.

[Dr. Mobius]

No I haven't, but I've heard they used to be pretty good, or at least better than they are now. We don't have any control over the recipes I don't think. That comes from the straight from the government, I believe. So blame the cost-cutting bureaucratic morons if they taste bad if you want. We just do what they tell us to do.

The commerical A-Pack may or may not taste better, but I haven't had one of those either, so I wouldn't know. Those are completely ours, I believe, and are only modeled after the military MREs, so the company has a little more at stake in making them edible.

Taste isn't exacly their main selling point anways. Long shelf life and the ability for paranoid bastards like eggy to have a hot meal wihout electricity or even fire when the world ends are what's important.

[Dr. Mobius]

Some sort of food, in case I go hypoglycemic and there's nothing readily available.

Well that's gotta suck. Are you diabetic or is there some other cause?

Maybe you should invest in some A-Packs as well and carry one of those around with ya. They're only available in the US, I believe, but you're not that far from the border.

[Eaquae Legit]

Not actually diabetic, but it runs in my family, and especially when I'm over-tired the drop in blood sugar is sudden and dramatic and often leads to migraines. It's an easy thing to manage, but when I'm out somewhere I like to be safe. I walk or bike to a lot of places, so if I drop while I'm out, it cam take a while to find food, and it's not fun.

[Rei]

My pockets have been rumoured to be bottomless in the past. Less so, these days, as they've been developing holes from too much stuff.

These days objects that I always have with me are a jack-knife (or two), my phone, my keys on their ring, my change purse (where I also keep transit tokens), my wallet, and a rosary. I also very often carry my iPod (used to be my discman, which I did manage to fit into my pockets with everything else). I also always wear a silver choker with the miraculous medal, and usually a chain with a cross as well as wearing a ring, sometimes two. (I am partial to a puzzle ring.) As per former habit, I've taken to keeping a book nearby as often as I may.

Other things I carry with me include music in my mind almost constantly and a story playing itself out in my head. Everywhere I go there is a sense of magic and connectedness which I couldn't drop if I tried. I suspect that I carry many memories which I've hidden away and forgotten where I put them, for better or for worse.

[Janus%TheDoorman]

I met O'Brien when he was speaking at UNC. Very cool guy, though he makes me feel like the entire sum of my life experiences is worth less than that cap he wears ;_;.

More on topic, though,

I always carry my keys with my Borders minicard and a USB Key on them.

My wallet with a bit of cash, and more cards than I actually have room for. Just why do I carry two ID cards and two check cards?

My cell phone rounds out what's in my pockets most of the time.

My watch... which always seems to need more links removed from it, my class ring... scratched and with a fractured onyx stone for all the memories from high school. I used to wear a necklace, although the clasp is broken now. I should do something with the charm.

My glasses, or course, a belt which I now understand to be far more necessary than I ever did before.

When I have my bookbag, my laptop and power cable. Not always books though... maybe I should stop calling it a bookbag.

OH, how did I forget my moleskine? I love that thing.

[Young Val]

by the way, welcome to Pweb, Janus.

we're a bit dead at the moment. but things always pick up eventually.

[Eaquae Legit]

My keys, always. Complete with FOX40 whistle, chapstick, mini-sharpie, and little rubber dragon finger-puppet. If I'm working, my work keys get attached, and my emergency CPR mask.

If I'm working, a pair of nitrile gloves. Often I have those even when I'm not working. Never know when there might be an emergency involving bodily fluids. Or some other gunky task. Gloves are so useful.

The other day at work, we got to discussing this. I'm definitely not the only one who feels safer with a pair of gloves and a CPR mask on board.

[ender1]

My wallet
A pocket knife
A thumbdrive
At least one of my cameras.
And my cell phone

[Janus%TheDoorman]

by the way, welcome to Pweb, Janus.

we're a bit dead at the moment. but things always pick up eventually.

Thanks. I figure this is for the best though, instead of getting lost in a flurry.

[Seiryu]

Left pocket:
wallet (I don't like sitting on my wallet)--little money, ATM card, various "club" cards, library card, etc.
ball point pen
cell phone

Right pocket:
Sunglasses clip case (with sunglasses clip of course)
keys
iPod with headphones

When I go to school or work, I take a notebook and a book for when I get bored. Sometimes I take the book by itself other places I go.

[eriador]

Wow! We read the same story in my English class, and I was the one who "taught" it. I came up with the exact same assignment, albeit for a 10 minute writing exercise, but still

I wonder if I can find what I wrote.... found it!

I carry many things to and from school. In my front left pocket my cellphone, a little black deal to get in touch with my parents. When I got it I put a strip of tape over the screen to keep it from getting scratched, but now the tape is scratched and smudged and marred and I don't feel like replacing it. In the same pocket is my car key, for a 2003 Honda Civic Hybrid. Manual Transmission I say. Fifty miles to the gallon I say. It's my parent's car.

In my back left pocket I carry a grade report from French Class. 49.5%. I don't take it out so my parents can't find it. I also carry a pen in that pocket. Black or blue ink, and writing smootly. "It's always good to have a pen" I say. It sounds stupid when I say it.

My back right pocket has my wallet. Handmade out of a sheet of paper last week during math class.