What would you take with you?
I never gave much thought to this question. I’m American. But as we all know, Americans had to come from somewhere. I’m out of contact today. I’m on a class trip with my youngest daughter’s Fifth grade class. I’m at Ellis Island. I’ve never been there before so I am really looking forward to seeing this. I’m a history person so I’m curious.
I went to a class meeting yesterday morning for the moms who are going on the trip. One of the things the teacher said was that she asked the kids: If you were leaving your home forever, what ten things would you take with you? A lot of them said things like: My iPod, a TV, my dog, etc. And she had to remind them – you can only take what you can carry on your back.
Wow. What an “aha” moment! How far we’ve come from the days when our ancestors had to pack up and leave everything they knew behind – and choose what to take with them.
So I’m going to put myself to the test and then while I’m gone for the day, I’ll ask you the same thing.
My List of Ten Things: (I’m going by modern day but only those things I can carry or legitimately care for) and in no particular order:
1. photographs of everyone important to me whose faces I wouldn’t want to forget.
2. My laptop and power cord – so I can write and be connected to the world.
3. My iPod and power cord/charger – for the trip and in case I want to get lost in my own world.
4. My cell phone and charger – for the same reasons above.
5. My wedding rings (do those count?)
6. A USB mini disk with all my books saved
7. My kids (I really don’t think those count and I can’t carry them but I can’t leave them behind – this exercise is really making me think how hard the immigrants had it!)
8. My dog – same thing as above!
9. My husband – Gosh I can’t believe people and pets aren’t supposed to be on this list!
10. My parents.
OK so now I have to accept the fact that the people who are my life can’t count as my ten. Revising my list becomes even more painful:
1. photographs of everyone important to me whose faces I wouldn’t want to forget.
2. My laptop and power cord – so I can write and be connected to the world.
3. My iPod and power cord/charger – for the trip and in case I want to get lost in my own world.
4. My cell phone and charger – so I could contact people and also so that I had a list of all my contacts.
5. My wedding rings (do those count?)
6. A USB mini disk with all my books saved
7. My medicine so that I’ll be sane and headache free for as long as it holds out
8. Wallet with cash, bank cards, and credit cards ( I really see that I’m combining things here and I hope that wouldn’t work against me as I tried to enter the country!)
9. A paper list of emails, snail mails, phone numbers, etc. so I could contact those I love and not lose track.
10. A favorite book to read over and over.
So I have the distinct feeling that the question wasn’t meant to include electronic gadgets. Therefore, here is my real list if I lived way back when:
1. photographs of everyone important to me whose faces I wouldn’t want to forget
2. letters from loved ones to hold close to my heart
3. my wedding rings
4. my medicine so I’d be sane and headache free for as long as it holds out or until I found a doctor wherever I was going
5. a written list of addresses of loved ones so I could write
6. a favorite book to read over and over
7. identification
8. money
9. items to barter or trade for things until I found a job
10. items with sentimental value
This definitely was a hard exercise! What about you? Forget electronics and people. If you were leaving your home forever back in the 1800’s or earlier, what ten things would you take with you?
Wow, this is hard. Let me try…
1. a big diary with lots of pages to record my experiences
2. pictures of loved ones
3. addresses of family & friends
4. as many books as I could manage
5. money
6. i.d.
7. chocolates
8. a pretty dress
9. walking shoes
10. keepsakes like jewelry or other small, meaningful objects
whew!
Comment by Stacy ~ — April 24, 2007 @ 6:27 am
Wow, well…my first thought was of a friend of my son’s. He’s 20, from Bosnia, and this is something he had to do when he was 6. His dad gave them 15 minutes to get whatever they wanted to take and that was it. I don’t know what Arman took, but I do know he still carries the physchological scars and I’m sure always will.
As for me, my list is going to be a combination of 25 years old and present. My house burned down - we lost everything - and these are the 10 things I wish I could have kept/would take now:
1. pictures (especially of my brother who’s gone)
2. Rod Stewart “Tonight’s the Night” T-shirt from my first ever concert
3. My mom’s silver service set that she had wanted for years and had just gotten
4. a few clothes
5. Shoes
6. Bottle opener - not a big deal now, but it was horrible to not be able to open a soda back then!! I’d use it for beer now!
7. money
8. A few of the beaded dolls I had made
9. wedding rings
10. iPod
I will say that experience taught me at a young age the difference between “possessions” that could be replaced and the things that couldn’t. Thanks for making me remember that this morning, Carly. It helps to put things in perspective and remind me not to freak out about things that don’t really matter in the big scheme of things.
Comment by Jodie — April 24, 2007 @ 8:36 am
This is hard…especially to narrow down to only 10.
1. Pictures of my family(especially the few of my mom)
2. A blanket that I’ve had since I was 6(already made it thru 1 house fire)
3. My cabbage patch doll(last gift from my mom)
4. books…as many as I can carry
5. money/i.d.
6. ipod and charger
7. cell phone and charger
8. address book with email and snail mail addresses
9. my Bible
10. really good shoes
Comment by Liza — April 24, 2007 @ 9:28 am
I am assuming it has to fit in a backpack or something…I’d actually take only a couple of things: pictures/scrapbooks; clothes (it’s a long journey, you know); money or something to barter when I got there; my great-grandma’s quilt (it’d keep me warm, plus, it would serve as a memory); important papers. I am assuming my wedding/engagement ring would be on my finger and I don’t need to pack it. Things are replaceable (seriously, this is coming from someone with a LOT of stuff), pictures aren’t. I’d make my kids carry their own backpack of blankets/lovies/books/clothes. Gosh, I am mean! I am assuming that husbands and kids don’t count in my carry ons!
Comment by katie — April 24, 2007 @ 9:55 am
My list:
1. Pictures of family and friends
2. Addresses of above along with paper to write on. This would also give me paper to journal and work on my wip with.
3. Money
4. Jewelry – I could always use it to barter with
5. As much clothes as I could possibly carry
6. Shoes – at least one nice pair and comfortable ones (this would not count the ones that I would be wearing
7. My Grandmothers quilt.
8. Food – the journey could be long
9. soap – if the journey is long I will need to bathe and wash my hair
10. My favorite books that I could read again and again.
11. My dogs (I know you said 10 but I’d find a way to take them)
This was much harder than I thought it would be. What I choose are the best items to take for me but when I thought of what would have to be left behind. Wow.
Comment by Vicki — April 24, 2007 @ 10:14 am
Wow, this brings back memories. Being a military brat I can remember when my family was stationed in Izmir,Turkey. There were my parents and my three sisters and we all had to share one overnight bag if we ever had to leave. We were between Iraq and Iran. I can now appreciate what my Mom went through trying to put this list together.
1) Money
2) Passport
3) Family photos
4) Toiletries(especially toilet paper)
5) Clorine tabs(you can’t drink the water anywhere overseas)
6) Notebook and pen(to keep a journal)
7) Camera
8) Favorite book
9) Change of clothes and extra pair of walking shoes
10)Folgers coffee
Comment by Carol R — April 24, 2007 @ 10:41 am
Gosh, I didn’t think about soap or chlorine tabs….I also forgot about food (is there food on board?). I like the journal with addresses, too. Geez, this backpack is getting heavy!
Comment by katie — April 24, 2007 @ 11:28 am
Back in the 1800’s hmmm?
1-Family Bible
2-Water
3-Food
4-change of clothes
5-xtra pair of shoes
6-sharp knife (lots of uses)
7-pocket watch
8-compass
9-complete medical journal
10-wool blanket
Okay so I took the most practical route.
I’m sorry I had to take this one seriously.
Hugs,
Comment by jeannie — April 24, 2007 @ 11:59 am
Let’s see,
1. My air mattress
2. pillow
3. blanket
4 money
5 books
6 change of clothes
7. shower gel
8. shampoo
9 towel
10 A case of pepsi
Barb
Comment by BadBarb — April 24, 2007 @ 1:03 pm
Well I haven’t seen a new post in awhile so I am going to get silly.
Maybe back in 1800 I am a young lady and mother and father have all the
food water and stuff. I can now be a little romantic at least until my
parents check my bag. I love to read so maybe some Emerson or
Longfellow. Surely A young gal would want a Mark Twain collection.
Wasn’t that the time of the Count of Monty Cristo?
Decisions, decisions
A rich girl you say well then maybe a nice perfume? Soap? Frilly dresses
and shoes? Oh and don’t forget the parasol and gloves.
I should by all means bring my velvet cloak. :lightbulb:
Hey I am going to a strange land and need a rich husband :love2:
asap. Then there is the all important stationary and sealing wax.:biteme:
I guess what you choose could depend on your wealth and position.
Some things never change.
Comment by jeannie — April 24, 2007 @ 1:27 pm
The sexy flirty hat, with feathers!
Can you say very sexy corset? Back lace is good!
Grrrr!
Is that rogue looking yet?
HAve fun I am off to work!
Comment by jeannie — April 24, 2007 @ 1:30 pm
I have tried to post my list twice—it’s not working and I can’t figure out why.
Comment by Debbie — April 24, 2007 @ 4:24 pm
Debbie, not sure what’s going on, it might be getting caught in the Spam filter (which I can’t access for some reason.) Julie’s got plumbing problems and is offline and Carly’s on her field trip…I’ll drop Janelle a note!
As for my list…10 bottles of Motrin.
Comment by Leslie — April 24, 2007 @ 5:33 pm
(PS: Kidding about the Motrin…mostly…having some back issues again and I can’t imagine going without it for long. But my real list would certainly include important photographs, my wedding video, each of my girls’ “baby books” that has locks of hair and their hospital bracelets and ultrasound pictues, my mother’s musical clown that she used to wind up when she’d rock my oldest as a baby, my strongbox w/all my important papers, cash, address book…and Motrin.)
Comment by Leslie — April 24, 2007 @ 5:35 pm
Debbie, I just checked the spam folder…we were INUNDATED today…over 900 spams…but it shouldn’t have affected your post. Try again. But write it in another program first and then cut and paste. That might work! Sorry…I’ll try and find out if anything else is wrong.
Comment by Julie Leto — April 24, 2007 @ 6:06 pm
I just got Bad Boys with Roses with Janelle’s :love2:story
at Barnes & Noble.
Early,
Yahoo! 
Just in time for my trip.
Comment by jeannie — April 24, 2007 @ 8:53 pm
Pictures \
Lip Gloss \
Cash \
Brush \
Clothes \ Wow that was a hard top 10.*g*
Shoes /
Advil /
Pillow /
Toothbrush /
Books /
Comment by danette — April 25, 2007 @ 4:58 am