This past week I’ve been in Colorado packing (as in moving boxes).  I got really into stuff.  What’s needed, what’s not.  What you wrap up and send on to the next house.  What you give away.   What you throw away.  There was a yellow teapot – the only object my husband owned from his paternal Polish grandmother; his mother’s silver rimmed china and set of luster ware. My high school yearbook picture suddenly surfaced.  (A mystery since this is a vacation house.)  A toaster that no one, except my husband who’s an engineer, knows how to work.  Boxes of books to ship to Montana, and bags of books to go to the local library sale. A long brown coat, from Argentina I believe, that my husband said is for riding horses in the rain. When I pointed out that in a million years he wouldn’t get on a horse to ride in the rain, let alone wearing this special coat, we got into a big fight. (The coat is now packed for Montana.).  His ex-wife’s avocado and orange kitchen utensils, which inexplicably have made two moves with us, finally went into the give-away pile. My daughter’s wreath of wine corks, circa 1996, got packed, along with the set of espresso cups which to my knowledge have never been used.

When you write – whether about yourself or your character – there are objects that hold history and detail about your people.  Yesterday in my Wellness Community writing workshop I gave this five minute writing exercise: You have to leave and you have one suitcase. What do you pack?

This wasn’t a great exercise – everyone panicked. They suddenly went into an Orange alert, or tried to remember those endless lists we have in California to prepare for the big earthquake.  If you want to try this as a writing exercise do a practical list of suitcase contents first, and then try another suitcase that isn’t practical.  It’s just full of things, stuff, objects you love. Years ago I read a novel in which the main character had three things she loved – her down quilt, an Oriental rug, and a favorite sweater.  It was perfect.

To Do:   If you’re writing fiction: what objects does your character own and love most of all?  Imagine this character moving – what would he take with him?  What would she leave behind?  If you’re writing a memoir, include your stuff, it’s history, your feelings for it.