When You Are Engulfed In Flames

Your house is burning. What do you reach for?

 

It's a question often asked, yet rarely considered. However, the eclectic submissions from The Burning House inspired me, and I decided to make my own "tragedy tableau." Given ample time, pictured (from left to right) are the things I would bring.
 

 

 

1) Memorable "thank you" momentos from soldiers. Operation: Iraqi Freedom flag, a uniform nametag, a medal, and a toy Afghani hut.

 

2) My makeshift sock monkey, Klyde. Constructed in middle school, Klyde quickly became a tradition for me and my best friend, Kate. Whenever one of us traveled, Klyde accompanied us on our journey. He always returned with a destination Sharpie-d on his torso. Sisterhood of the Traveling Sock Monkey.

 

3) My father's embossing press.

 

4) Five cherished books: A photo album from my summer abroad in England, A Man For All Seasons by Robert Bolt, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer, a Bible, and a journal from 2009--present.

 

5) My favorite leather backpack. Obtained at a flea market from an extremely bitter Russian woman.

 

6) The highlights of my ever-growing doorknob collection.

 

7) Cell phone.

 

8) My grandfather's corn fertilizer-cap. Still smells like summer.

 

9) American Journey #10 round watercolor brush. I've never found a better brush with synthetic bristles.

 

10) Boyfriend box. Scars and smiles from loves gone by.

 

11) Antique placard of the 23rd Psalm, passed down through my family.

 

12) Hairbrush, Aquafresh, and toothpaste. Gotta keep it classy.

 

13) VHS of 12 Angry Men.

 

14) Package of pistachios.

 

15) My favorite 16th birthday present: A vanilla-scented air freshener reading "Damn, Nelson Mandela, you smell so good!"

 

16) Set of three Russian stacking dolls.

 

17) Quilt made from my great-grandmother's old dresses.

 

18) Favorite floral scarf and geometric necklace.

 

19) Antebellum notebook, check, letter, and photograph from somewhere in Missouri. Items date back to 1868.

 

20) Conch shell from 2010 Florida trip.

 

21) Smooth stone picked up beneath the London Eye.

 

22) Dried flower collection.