Curious Things in a box

I schlepped back to Arizona a carful of childhood memories but perhaps the most important one was my memory chest. I put ‘precious items’ into it carefully selecting which ones were worthy to enter. It was my equivalent of a pirate’s treasure chest or a sort of time capsule. Like a proper time capsule or treasure chest it was located in the buried under some rubbish in the basement. It would have been lost but for a sudden memory on my part to search for it.

There is nothing like the euphoria emanating from a box one hasn’t opened in fifty years and breathing in its contents.

There were some photos I don’t remember putting in the box. Perhaps someone did this while we were packing up. Maybe Mother’s spirit added them.

My first birthday prize perhaps. I remember that train.

I was indoctrinated early as a Wolverine.

Throughout my life my father and I have been two peas in a pod when it comes to looks.

The chest contains many memorabilia from my scouting days. I had forgotten I had a fabulous collection of neckerchief slides, many  I had painted from their monochrome plastic orange into fabulous colors like the oak leaf in the picture.

Oh the embarrassment. Besides Scouts I was also in Indian Guides. I remember making this bracelet and wearing it around my ankle while dancing about while singing some ersatz Indian ballad.  Don’t judge.

Patience above! It’s my old viking horn! It was given to me by my grandparents who brought it back from Norway. The Board of Directors Here at Spo-Reflections will enjoy seeing this.It’s too small to drink from or hold anything; I wonder what it was for?

Here is a brass boar. There are several boars in the Spo family crest.  There are also several bores as well.

I have a vague memory from family summer camp of taking a stone from the shores of Lake Michigan and painting it into this fabulous 60s item.

My Yoda figurine was possibly the last item that went into the chest. By the mid-70s I had lost interest or the chest was full I cannot remember really.  Like Jackie Paper I had grown up and forgotten about it – until now.

In the next few weeks I will slowly remove and examine each item like Howard Carter excavating King Tut’s tomb.

I end this entry with this photo showing my grandmother’s desk hourglass, still ticking away the Sands of Time.