16 Things
Image by zharth
Here’s a variation on that "16 Things" game that’s been going around. I picked 16 random (or not so random) things around my room that reveal something about me. Now let me tell you about them.
(Left to right, top to bottom)
Bleeding Dove – I got this little wooden dove necklace from church (many years ago). After one of many fights I had with my older brother, I colored one side of the dove red with a marker, changing the symbolism from "peace" to "war", and hung it up over the inside of my bedroom door, as a reminder for myself that everytime I step outside into the world, I am entering an arena full of strife and negative energy, where I cannot take my own safety and peace of mind for granted.
Burning Man Postcard – I went to Burning Man last year, which was an amazing experience (even though I lost my camera there). This is a postcard advertising this year’s festival – there’s no way I could afford to go out there again (mentally *or* financially – at least not on my own), but I still have the postcard lying around for no reason.
Deedlit – This is a beautiful colored drawing of the elf maiden Deedlit that I picked up at a convention a number of years ago. It’s been on my wall over my bed ever since then. I must admit to having a huge crush on Deedlit once upon a time, and even now, she represents much that I admire.
Lego King – This is the final incarnation of "Lego zharth". I played with Legos a lot as a kid, but now, all that’s left is a relatively small set that I built from scratch, that’s been sitting untouched for years now. I remember promising to myself as a kid, that I would continue playing with toys as an adult, and not become one of those dreaded grownups who are out of touch with their own inner child. I may not play with toys as much as I used to, but I like to think that I’ve retained that creative (if not exactly playful) side – I’ve just found different outlets for it.
Bottle Graveyard – I sometimes save bottles either from drinks I really like, or just if the bottle looks really cool. When I think about it, they don’t really serve any purpose, and they just take up space, but I guess you could say I’m the collector type. That, and I definitely have major pack rat tendencies. I have a hard time letting go of things…
Isotherm – I got caught up in a really stupid game in elementary school, that lasted into junior high, before we realized just how stupid it was. It started with a scrap of paper we found outside the window of a classroom at school. The paper had the word "isotherm" written on it. At the time, we had absolutely no idea what "isotherm" meant, so naturally we assumed it was some kind of magic word. And for some reason we thought that the more times we wrote the word, the more power we’d have. So we would sit there writing "isotherm" over and over again on sheets of paper. I held the record, and even wrote it on the walls. I’m quite certain the teachers all thought I was mad, and I’m not quite certain that I’m not.
Rock N Roll – Of course, here’s my guitar. It’s the first guitar I ever owned, and still the one I play most often. It’s got that broken-in feeling, and I’m used to it. I made some aesthetic adjustments to suit my tastes, including the wicked faerie decal, the clear pickguard (to better see the faerie decal), and the purple knobs (colored with a Sharpie because it’s impossible to find purple factory knobs…). I love the way it looks, but it’s a work in progress.
Yersinia Pestis – Isn’t this little guy just adorable? He’s an ultra-magnified plushie version of the bacteria that causes Black Plague. He’s my own personal Memento Mori. He sits above my head as I sleep, reminding me every night before I go to bed that life is transient and death is always lurking in the shadows, ready to strike at a moment’s notice. I guess you could call it a form of black humor.
CD Wall – My CD collection is pretty much self-explanatory. Music is a pretty important part of my life. And, though I hate to admit it, I’m a lot better at listening to it than playing it. I had a radio show in college, and even now, I listen to music nearly nonstop, except when I’m asleep.
The Nineties – I started watching Sailor Moon while I was in high school. I was incredibly secretive about it at first, because I was embarrassed about watching what was supposed to be a girl’s show. Nowadays I could care less what other people think; Sailor Moon was an awesome series. As for Magic: The Gathering, I never really played the game, but as you might guess, I enjoyed collecting the cards. I liked to collect walls, rats, and wurms, among other things, and any cards that had cool artwork.
Dead Flowers – This is a rose from my grandmother’s funeral, which was one of the first real funerals I remember attending as a child. I held onto it, and it’s been lying around for ages now. My grandmother was a really kind person, but she was so sick at the end of her life; it was very depressing. My granddad, on the other hand, has been going strong, and is still relatively well, considering that he’s now over 90.
Remembering A Summer Night – Again with the sappy mementos… This is a CD "favor" from a wedding I attended some years ago. My girlfriend-at-the-time’s mother was getting remarried, and I was in charge of cueing up the songs during the service (the service, not the reception!). Everything worked out fine, but I hate weddings. They’re too happy. And there’s too many people. It’s not my kind of environment.
Figure Collection – Yep, more collecting. I like to collect figures. Japanese ones, for the most part. My collection is fairly small, because I also don’t like spending money frivolously, but every once in awhile I’ll come across a figure that I must have. I picked up the blue- and orange-haired cuties (the Eva girls) at a shop in Akihabara. Yes, in Tokyo. :p
An Old Photo – I’m not really the type to keep pictures of myself as a kid lying around, but somehow, this one made it onto my desk. The flower frame was probably some craft I did, possibly in scouts. In the photo, I’m wearing a child-size fisherman’s vest that I used to love (despite never doing much fishing), and three really cool fantasy-style necklaces that I also loved (wizards and swords and such). I can tell from the background that the photo was taken in one of the lakeside cottages my family would stay at during our annual summer vacations. Lots of good memories there…
Plug & Play – This is my PS2. I use it more for watching DVD’s than playing games, these days. But back in the day, I was a huge console gamer. Nintendo, Super Nintendo, and then Playstation were my systems of choice. I still enjoy playing a good game now and then, but the lifestyle seems to take up a whole lot of time and money that I seem to have less and less of as the days drag on. Among other things, I’m a fan of old-school 2d platformers (my friends have been known to refer to me as "The Jump Master"), RPG’s (because you can play them alone and get absorbed in the fantasy world), and more recently, horror titles (Silent Hill is my favorite vacation resort ;).
Black Light Blues – Ever since high school, I’ve been a black light freak. I rigged my room up with multiple black lights and lined the walls with black light posters. I also got into lighting up incense, and loved to sit in the dark listening to classic rock. This is just one of the many reasons that I’ve been wrongly stereotyped as a "stoner". Still, with or without chemical enhancement, those were heady times.