Sep 19: Dangerous Keepsakes

Now on to today's meditation. The meditation today is about keepsakes and how some can rekindle happy memories and people we want to keep alive in our minds. But sometimes they can keep alive memories we would like to forget such an ended romance, a missed opportunity, a deep regret for a broken friendship. Mr. White then urges us to invite a relative or friend to share his/her memories that a particular keepsake bring to mind, these might even be emotionally charged memories that can lead to stories which in turn lead to other stories.
The further reflection states that objects that conjure up negative experiences and moods can be just as valuable to a writer as those that conjure up positive experiences and moods. As an example he uses the portrait of Dorian Grey.
The "try this" assignment is to make a list of keepsakes that generate complex associations for you and beside each write a sentence or two describing some of these associations. Then return to the list and use it to outline a short story or personal-experience essay.
In just the last few minutes I have come up with this list:
Three Imitation Stained Glass Double Panels that I purchased in the original Atlanta Underground in 1972.
The engaved silver cuff I wear almost daily which was the first gift from my husband.
A collection of brooches that I inherited from my mother.
My mother's wedding band that I now wear with my own.
A self- portrait photograph made in my apartment in Seoul Korea.
A small Garfield figurine that sits on my desk
A small stone box tht also sits on my desk.
Now I'm no exactly certain how I could use all of this to making it a short story but a personal-experience essay.
I. The three glass panels sit on a shelf in my apartment in Seoul Korea as symbol of a past life.
II. The self-portrait my new life in Seoul.
III. The silver cuff that leads leaving Seoul and starting a new life with my husband.
IV . The brooches and wedding band the loss of my parents.
V. The Garfield figurine and stone box my current life stage.
That is just a rough outline it would take more time than I have today to complete but again I'll put the outline in composition book and see what comes of it later.