What would you expect the answer to be to this question? Something treasured, something alive? Something vital to life? Some unique artefact of sentimental object with a personal history? Or perhaps something useful?
Could you live without John Snow?
When I posed this question to my Facebook Family and asked them to post photographs of their ‘can’t live without’ objects, I was flooded with images some of which surprised me. Some of the things they declared as objects that they couldn’t possibly live without included the above – treasured things (rings), living things (pets) and things vital to life (glasses and an inhaler). However, I also had some responses that surprised (and, frankly, baffled) me. I do love to be baffled though. People aren’t predictable and that is a great thing.
Perhaps living without this little cutie would be impossible
Two people posted photographs of a pair of slippers. To me, this was really fascinating and unexpected. I could easily live without my slippers. I also saw three means of heating houses (a boiler and two fireplaces). These are useful, perhaps, but not much fun to have around. I saw lots of shoes and boots. As a lover of boots I could see the merit in saving one’s favourite boots but again, there are other things I’d chose before I grabbed my boots. One person decided that she couldn’t live without a swimming pool. She lives in New Zealand, I guess that explains.
These slippers are well-loved by their owner perhaps
Another friend declared that her iPhone was the object she couldn’t live without. This answer I liked. This would be my answer too. My iPhone is my means of communication with loved ones and friends, my diary, my alarm clock, my sporting statistics generator, my portal to work emails, my window on that vast jungle of joy we call the Internet, my photograph album, my camera, my video camera, my notebook, my sketchpad, my art journal and my news channel. It also allows me to do complicated sums, watch music videos, listen to music and read. It is so much. I simply could not live without it. I think that many people might secretly also feel the same way. It’s odd to me that not many would be prepared to admit this.
I have thoroughly enjoyed this little social media exercise and I hope that I get more replies. I just love that I was so baffled. Thank you dear friends!
Herewith the statistics on the responses so far:
Animate things (pets): 3 (2 dogs, 1 cat)
Mugs of tea: 3
Boots: 3
Shoes: 3
Cushions (one with John Snow on it): 3
Fireplaces / boilers: 3
Books (one shelf, one kindle and one book about Morris dancing): 3
Slippers: 2
Glasses: 2
Remote controls: 2
Jewellery (rings): 2
Dairies: 2
iPhone: 1
Keys: 1
Drawing pins: 1
Crystals: 1
Swimming pools: 1
Toy trucks: 1
ITV television centres: 1
Sewing machines: 1
Crochet hooks: 1
Cans of vimto: 1
Cotton buds: 1
Hats: 1
Scarfs: 1
Coffee pots: 1
Inhalers: 1
And the award for the most bizarre object goes to: ITV television centre.
Is Jeremy Kyle worth keeping?
What I am going to do with this information, is something that is in the creative pipeline. All I can say is: watch this space and you might find out.