Plot Monkeys

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?