Trusty Companions

One of my favorite theories in my anthropology courses was Actor-network Theory. Basically it's a really complicated (and often boring) theory which states that material objects can sometimes determine behavior. Take, for instance, your faulty backpack that comes unzipped in the middle of a busy street. Your papers scatter everywhere, but a young man helps you pick them up. He asks for your number, takes you out, and you get married. The chain of events that led to your marriage began with an inanimate object: your backpack. Therefore, your backpack was just as instrumental in your current marital bliss as you and your husband are. It's kind of a stretch, but it is fun to think with.

Anyway, on this note, I thought I'd take a moment to make a tribute to a few possessions that have been with me nearly everywhere for the past few years, and potentially shaped my actions.

Y Waterbottle
Current Status: Working condition. Scotch tape holds the lid together.
Description: Perfect size, fits discretely in most purses. Nearly escaped confiscation by a museum in Shanghai.

Headlamp (insert picture here)
Current Status: Missing. Last seen in the back seat of my car.
Description: Used daily as a nightlight for reading novels late at night not only camping in Provo Canyon, but also in my Provo apartment. I even used this headlamp on the seventeen hour flight that took me to Singapore.

Chaco Sandals
Current status: Slightly stinky.
Description: Ideal for rivers, hiking to Stewart Falls, and long walks while sightseeing in cities like Chicago.

Bluebell
Current Status: Learning the ropes of a new city.
Description: Bluebell is a trooper--even when I drag her places like Price Canyon (and her little insides burst) and when I take her for long cross country road trips. My little nieces love Bluebell and have really helped her understand her true identity and member of the family.