What Things Do You Care About?

I'm doing some research and would like some help from friends of The TrueTalk Blog.

I'm interested in knowing what  objects people care about.

I know it's a strange question, but I'll explain.  Some things, some objects that we encounter in our everyday lives, don't mean diddly.  They're just there.  But other things really come to mean something to us.  Like, iPods, for example.  Some people really, really care about their iPods.  Some really care about a particular kind of notebook, or pen.
 

What about you?  What objects do you care about?  A great pair of shoes?  A sweater?  Your car? 

And, can you figure out why?

Comments

[Kristin]

I care about my Nalgene bottles.
Since I am ever thirsty these days I need a constant supply of water and these bottles are a safer plastic then reusing any old plastic bottle. They are also shatter proof, don't hold any odor in the plastic unless I don't rinse the soap off well, have the ml. and oz. markings so you can amaze everyone at how much water you drink (reminds me of when Aunt Marie told me I was going to drown in a big glass of water at Easter while she was sipping her champagne) and they have a lid so I can waddle safely to a meeting without the chance of spilling it. Plus they come in fun colors. Mine are pink (work one) and purple (home one) while Jeremy has a clear and an orange one. Oh, and I figured out during one frightfully dull meeting that I swallow exactly an ounce at a time.

[Kristin]

Um, I also care about lotions and lip goo. I feel unsettled when I am without Vaseline, Carmex or other such lip ointment available. I don't like to leave home without knowing that there is one in a pocket, my backpack, a purse or in Jeremy's pocket. I think it acts like a security blanket just knowing it is available, but I also get really cranky when I have chapped lips. And when Jeremy forgets his lip goo he commented that he will lick his lips more even if they aren't dry - just because he doesn't have the stuff available.

I feel naked if I don't put on lotion after bathing. And I must match my scents. My shower gel or soap has to have a coordinating lotion or I have to have an unscented lotion if I don't have any more of the coordinating lotion. Can't mix scents - ok, I do mix occasionaly, but I like the matchy matchiness of my soaps and lotions the best.

[Jon]

As I get older (54), I find I care less and less about objects and "stuff." The objects I do care about either: visually beautiful; tactiley sensual; wonderfully functional. Or all three. So, I used to have a pen that was all three. Then I lost it, and never found an equal. in terms of everyday objects, I've actually become quite attached to my cell phone -- nothing fancy, just a Samsung A310, but works well, well designed, and fun to flip shut. Don Norman, in his The Design of Everyday Things does a great job of defining design worthiness -- somewhat, the old "form follows function" adage. As I type this, I see a silver Victorian candle snuffer, and know that silver cheese knife with two gentle fangs at its end is nearby. Somehow those objects give me pleasure, even if they are not every day items I use.

[Todd]

I care about hair products.

[Kristin]

This is too much fun...
I used to be addicted to Jeremy's old Walkman radio that still lives in the handy pocket on my backpack, but now it is my shuffle that is so nice and lite to wear around the neck.
I don't like to take a solo walk without having NPR or music to listen to. I feel unsettled and exposed without it. As Jeremy will attest I may not actually be listening to what is on since I forget if I have heard a certain Fresh Air episode frequently, but I still want it playing in my ear as I make my way to work.

[Laura]

I love great wirebound "disposable" notebooks (as opposed to fancy journals) and I must have one at any meeting I attend or else I feel unraveled. The "funner" the design the better for me. Here's one I love: Oh Boy www.ispot.com/projects/oba/. Ordinary ruled notepads from Staples won't cut it. Needs to be blank pages, wire bound, with a fun cover. It's a way to show that even if I'm appearing focused and business-like, it shows (even if I'm the only one who knows) that I'm fun. And immature.

I'm with Kristin on needing really good lip stuff everywhere. I have to feel I have it in my pocket, my bag, my desk drawer, my car. I'm always searching for the best stuff so I use every brand imaginable, and at nite, I'm addicted to gross Vaseline. Easy to open and shut in the dark, colorless, odorless, smear it on, pass out.

I keep my scarf collection visible - silk scarves, hand knit, any textile and texture really -- they hang haphazardly all over my house and I like it. If I don't see them, I forget to wear them. And I really really like looking at them. Most of them are from people I care about, and a few are great finds from cool shops. So each one has a good memory attached to it.

I feel better with a big ring on my right hand, like a chunky silver cheap ring or a silly lucite, or a big stone. What's that diamond campaign now - a woman's left hand is for the serious wedding ring...the right for - what? Not more diamonds. More fun! More to play with during a meeting.

Kitchen tongs. Can't live without them. The springy metal kind.
Palm Pilot - Tungsten model - need it everywhere. Like the silhouette of it and the speed.
Shoes: practical and comfy (Merrells), impractical but fun -- I have these great pair of red wedgie with ankle strap and they are super comfy (for being 4-inch heels) and when I wear them I am transformed into a taller, thinner, prettier person. I cannot live in flat walking shoes alone although I feel MUCH more productive when I wear Merrells than the pop-tart shoes.

[Peter Flaschner]

powerbook. I don't leave home without it.

[Linda]

I love stuff- but it has to be well designed. Anything well designed is welcome into my house or pocket book. Actually good stuff makes me happy. From my diamond engagement ring to my favorite OXO carrot peeler (and all the Chanel/Prada in between). I happily attach sentimental value to every day things too- for instance when my OXO carrot peeler was accidently thrown out with the peelings one day, I was sad/mad everytime I opened the utensil drawer. Until my husband brought home a new one- actually he bought 2 (protecting me against possible loss again?!)-now I like those ones better than the original because they have meaning attached to them.

[Aleah]

Tom,

What fun! Good questions.

I care about my grandmother's quilts, my photo albums, a wooden antique angel statue, art work by friends, and my books.

The reasons behind most of the items are obvious: they are handmade by people I love, or they represent family and friends, good memories together.

The angel statue is just very rare and unique - something I stumbled across in the back room of an old store that is no longer.

The books? I am just a bookworm and reading brings me great joy.

[Bill D.]

Over the years I have found certain items that I just feel work for me. Their quality and fit for my life have made them indespensible in sometimes absurd ways.

They would include my TiVo which I love for comfort sake more than anything else. I know its going to catch anything I feel I need to see.

The first two years I had my Toyota Solara, I just loved it. It was a big upgrade from my Saturn and spending 2+ hours a day in it really made me appreciate the finer points.

My Canon Powershot S400. Small, fits in my pocket, and takes great pictures. A real luxury item that helps me remember the good times a little more clearly than I would otherwise.

My first BlackBerry. Loved that thing! Changed my perception of being connected.

My Addidas sneakers. Comfortable, stable, and they don't smell too bad. The feet always feel at home there.

There's services I love like online banking, NetFlix, MapQuest, and IMDB. But that's just because they make my life a heck of alot easier.

[michelle]

warm slippers in summer and winter[my feet are always cold and i take my shoes off and put them on the second i walk into the house] post its[what a great simple invention]telephone headset, i spend alot of my working time on phone and cannot function without it

i love jewelry and collect antique jewelry from mexico and also victorian ,home is very important to me and i care about the integrity of everyday objects, form must follow function

[Tom Guarriello]

Thanks, all! Great stuff. Please invite your friends over, too.

[Heidi]

Wow, great question!

At the top of the list are great technological devices that make my life easier. That includes my widescreen Compaq laptop, Treo 600, pink iPod mini, and Sage PVR system. Every time I use any of them, I wonder how I ever survived without them.

At the other end of the technology spectrum is my Wustoff Santoku knife. It fits my hand perfectly, never dulls and makes prep work almost effortless. Who ever thought cutting veggies could be fun?

I love my red cashmere sweater that I wear to virtually every Dayton Flyers home game. I've had it forever and it's beginning to look a bit threadbare in certain places but I can't bring myself to part with it. Way too many memories.

[Laura]

Expensive fluffy makeup brush -- I have two of different sizes from Stila. The shape, weight, softness of the "fur" or whatever -- perfect and worth every penny.

[Colleen]

I love pacifiers. They can turn my inconsolable kids into civilized humans!

[Laura]

OK, my non-computer using colleague at the office is a former banker, he LOVES his fountain pen with his peacock-blue ink. It's an attachment to his school days in the 1960s and I think he enjoys people saying, "Wow! A fountain pen!"

[eleni]

My Ibook. Love it. And if that makes me a materialistic person, then so be it. I can't live without TIVO or lip goo, either. Good luck with your research, Tom!

[Courtney]

The one thing I care about above all others is my baby blanket. I have had it since I was born, my Grandmother knit it in green and white because they did not know if I was going to be a boy or a girl, and although it is barely recognizable as a blanket it is my most cherished posession. I plan on takin' it to my grave!

[Jeremy]

Wow...this is a great post Doc! Had a great time reading everyone's entries. Hmm, let's see:

1) Kristin's belly. This is definitely at the top of the list because in a week (hopefully)my son will labor out of there, and words can't express how much I already care about him.
2) Crossing Guards of Belmont/Watertown because they do their part in assuring Kristin gets to work safely everyday.
3) My Bling, there isn't much but I love my wedding band and I wear it all the time, except when I play hoop, I don't understand men that don't wear theirs. And also the Tag that Kristin gave me for a wedding present.
4) Ipod Mini - I have only had this for a couple months but already I can't remember how I got by without it.
5) Other Tech Stuff - Tivo & IBook G4...again what was life like without this stuff?
6) The fact the Red Sox won the World Series - proves that NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE!
7) Mr. Coffee - saves us money by not going to the Dirty D every morning, and there is NOTHING like the smell of brewing coffee when you first wake up in the morning

Okay, that's all for now...I am sure I will think of more.

[Ann]

Most of my must-have's or things I care about have to deal with making my life easier and avoiding irritation. Here's a few . . .

My folding travel toiletry bag - especially handy for traveling to third-world countries. This bag has every little compartment for every little mini travel-sized items I would ever need to survive for a month, and it hangs on the back of the door so I can grab anything in an instant. I can also easily fold it all up again for a quick get-away. Maybe I secretly want to be a "double-naught" spy.

I have several thigh high cotton nightshirts - no bunching, no twisting so you don't wake up in the middle of the night hog-tied. Also very cool - no waking up in a pool of sweat.

Perfume - stimulates my amygdalas for frontal lobe forward thinking.

Must have sharp knives.

I have to have a car that really moves when I punch it - I still have my 93 Buick Regal Gran Sport - 140,000 miles on it. But, when I have to get by some la-la person on the road, it still moves when I need it to.

Then, on a lighter note, I love my tchotski's. Most of these have a story behind them and when I look at them, I remember people I love or moments that I treasure. My geodes remind me of New Mexico, my Asian bowls remind me of the time you took me to China Town, goofy little statues that Mary gives me . . . .

[Connie Sartain]

I love my relax-a-back chair because I can use my computer for hours and hours w/o my back hurting. It also makes me mad because it's so hard to get in and out of, mostly because the desk gets in the way. It looks ridiculous in the living room.

I love a pair of Anne Klein exotic fabric stilettos with bronze straps because they're unique and actually comfortable for what they are - perfect fit.

[Salty]

OK, I will speak for Dave: New Harley-Davidson Dyna-Glide Custom in Sunglo blue. It's a fine object.

Laura's note: Honda and Yamaha probably make a motorcycle engine that requires less maintenance...but nothing looks as cool as a chromed out shiny bike.

[Connie Sartain]

high school yearbooks - they bring wonderful memories to life - they make it easy to remember that everything and anything is possible.

[Laura]

You know how you accumulate so many t-shirts, that you need to weed 'em out every season? I have had this one, it's my "golden boy" (Seinfeld reference) and I can only wear it at home or in the garden - my absolute favorite most comfy tshirt. It's fuschia, cotton, not see-through, and very roomy (but not too long) and the sleeves are good and floppy (not constricting). It's covered with paint splatters and hair dye stains. On the front it says in Spanish "National Parks of Costa Rica" and there's this weird map and an ugly graphic of a hot air balloon. My uncle brought it back for me after his first trip to that country like 20 years ago. I thought it was soooo ugly. He probably paid $1. for it. Now I love it.

[Jeff]

One of the most enjoyable posts (and comments) I've read anywhere for a while, Tom...

Tech loves:
Tivo, MP3 Player, Laptop.
(Honorable mention to my camera. Our relationship is only a week old, but I already look at it forlornly every time I have to leave it behind.)

Tactile loves:
My mesh gym shorts. I put on a pair as soon as I get home every night.
Broken-in hooded sweatshirts. I have 3 in regular rotation.
An old, soft tshirt. They're always at their best right before they fall apart. I've got a closet full.

Media loves:
Websites. If I don't get around to a handful every day, there's some residual tension...
NPR. Soothing, yet stimulating.

As for "the why"...
For the tactile things, it's about comfort and familiarity.
For the tech, it's about convenience, interaction, and expression. And I guess familiarity comes back into play with the MP3 Player and the Tivo, which I use to catch/keep songs and shows that I'm familiar with.
For the media, it's about connectivity and staying oriented to what's going on.