totems (or, the roof is on fire) *UPDATED*

I was reading this article by Rob Walker this morning and it got me thinking about the notion of stuff. It's interesting how people view stuff. One friend told me I live like a monk, but when I moved to Kansas City I felt like I had SO MANY things. And these were mostly books- 15 boxes of books....

But I digress. Rob Walker comments that many of the items listed on The Burning House are self consciously hip, or at least say something pretty definite about the writers aesthetic. Looking at the site, this is mostly true- most of the list seemed to be making a statement more about the way the person wants to be perceived than an actual personal statement and that's pretty boring. Rob Walker (and me too) would like to know more about the reasons things are being taken out of the fire. When you can only save some things, those things are elevated to the status of a totem. What makes them totems?

I took an unofficial and small poll. Matt said the things that are most important to him- his photos and music are saved on the Amazon Cloud so he doesn't need to worry too much. He would take:
1. Thom Brown for Brooks Brothers suit
2. Other Thom Brown for Brooks Brothers suit
3. cigarettes
4. sunglasses
5. Samsung Nexus S (his phone)


Matt is one of the most unsentimental people I know. His suits are irreplaceable, the rest are kind of necessary items (though, what are cigarettes if not totems?)

Here's an update on Matts totems, almost a year later:

It's easy to imagine what five things you'd grab in a fire when your house is *always* on fire.

Matt lives sparsely in Afghanistan, so three totems are probably ideal.

Jane (my sister) said she would take:
1. Our mothers wedding ring (why does she even have this?)
2. Barkus (her childhood stuffed animal)
3. Chanel bag
4. Our Nanas (my grandmother Harriet Schussler) wedding ring
5. Wedding poem my parents friend wrote/read to them on their wedding day
6. Photobooth picture of my parents at Disney World (I've never even seen this!)

Here's what I would take:

1. Emily (childhood friend)
2. Robert (another friend, and very uncooperative in this photo shoot)
3. Papa's (My grandfather Seymour Schussler) watch
4. The Laura Ashley quilt I've slept under forever
5. An antler- maybe the most totem-ish thing in the photo. I love deer and I have a few of these antlers, which were actually shed by deers and picked up from the ground.

Looking at what I've chosen, it's clear to me that these are what I would need to build up my new house from the ashes of what's burned down- my cat, a quilt to keep me warm, the antler-totems, and some comforting old things.

Anyone else feel like making a list? I would love to read it.