Are used to stories coming out of books? What if, sometimes, they also hide in boxes?
Each object you touch has a story. Some have an interesting one, leading back over multiple generations, your great grandmas wedding ring for example. Others seem less personal such as the IKEA bed sheets you bought last year, and thousands of other people sleep on as well.
Which object do you keep long enough for it to accumulate a story?
Sentimental things and tools. If it is useful enough and doesn’t break it can stay in your possession forever.
I walk around in another secondhand shop warehouse. Looking at clothes, looking at coffee cups and hats, glancing over to the shoes. As I almost want to leave, maybe my man accompagniating me is getting slightly impatient about my endless interest in fabrics.
“One more investigation!”
That is when I discover the sewing section. Smallish boxes filled with random stuff. At first all I see is a lot of plastic and shoe laces. Looking at my feed I remind myself that this is an actual thing I need. But as I dig for the second lace I find a little box. Scattering noise as I lift it up, quite heavy. “Needles or buttons.” I guess as I try to open the box with one free hand. It is filled with buttons and hooks, I was almost right.
Now my interest sparked. What’s in this other box? A guessing game starts as I forget everything around me.
I pull out another container made from horn. Not sure how to open it, as I don't want to break it, I look at it from all sides. That’s when the lady in the sewing section comes to my aid. She manages to open the box and we exchange a few words.
She tells me, she likes to leave all the little boxes how they where donated. They never empty them, because she finds it cute to leave it to surprise, what a potential buyer might find inside.
I assure her, that this is exactly why I was about to dig out and open all the little boxes.
“In fact”, I tell her, “a lot of my sewing gear was collected in charity shops and on flea markets. Because I love the thought of some lady sewing dresses for her kids and grandkids with these same needles I use today.” Then she smiles and lets me do my thing.
It isn’t just about what we are doing, it is also about what we surround ourselves with.
Personally I want to surround myself with stories. Memories from the past and dreams about the future. And space, a lot of empty space to think and fill up with thoughts. A bunch of tools that mean something to me, that are practical, efficient, durable, functional.
Maybe this little box will travel all the way down to my great grand children. In that way they can store their weed in it, in their teens and later fill it with pins and buttons when they come to reason and finally realize, that smoking weed isn’t as inspiring as fixing your favourite sweater with your great grandmas sewing gear.
Which stories do you keep in your sewing boxes?
Cheers for stopping by, have a great week!
All photos and words are owned by ©kesityu taken and written by myself.