This week’s Escape Plan challenge (aka our Tip of the Week) is: #4 Souvenir From Childhood: Add something childlike (not necessarily childish) to your workspace or home.
Souvenirs are so childlike, aren’t they? The concept of picking out a momento… a keepsake that will help you remember the best parts of your journey.
What about the journey of childhood? What were the best parts that you want to remember? So quickly we forget. If you could go to a gift shop filled with items exclusively representing your childhood, what would you find?
That raggedy teddy bear? Your special blanket? The soccer ball? Your favorite children’s book?
Pick out a trophy from your childhood and proudly display it! It’s a great conversation piece and even more importantly, it’ll serve as a time machine for childhood memories.
A woman named Karen Chappell from Canada started a website two years ago to help her remember the souvenirs from her own childhood. Her blog, “I Found my Childhood on eBay” is her way of treasuring her memories after a house fire in 1994 destroyed all the original souvenirs. What a creative way to remember back, without cluttering your house.
I have a Cheer Bear figure, just like the one in the picture, next to my desk at work. It’s the original one I received in first grade when I had hives. My mom and I went to the doctor and on the way home she let me pick it out at the store, to cheer me up. Ironically, Cheer Bear still cheers me up.
Share with us in the comments of the Escape Plan blog what souvenir you pick and why.
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cheri says
8/4/2008 at 8:37 amOur youngest son, now 22 was coming to stay the weekend with us, bringing his friend with him (19 yrs)to help his dad work on a vehicle. Stocking up at the grocery store for the weekend with these two, I found myself on the grocery aisle, of which a box of cereal featuring “Speedracer” with an offical Speedracer car inside. I bought it, and sure enough, even though I fixed a huge breakfast, once I sat out the box showing Speedracer car inside, the two delved into it, to see which one they got. The two sat there rolling the cereal box car toy back and forth on the table while they ate their cereal, complete with vroom-vroom car sounds. They left the car, but I have a hunch when they come back it will get rolling again. Even young men who try so hard to be “adults” enjoy playing..
Karen Chappell says
8/4/2008 at 11:30 amHi,
Thanks for mentioning my blog, I’m glad you like it. Curious as to how you found it (probably a google search). You’re right, it is a fun way of remembering my childhood without cluttering up my house, but I do have a few childish things around, from spintops to kaleidoscopes to little figurines of cartoon characters. As you probably know, those things make life fun and interesting.
-Karen
Minette says
8/5/2008 at 2:57 pmTo tell you the truth, I’ve already started this. I have my paper snowflakes that I made last year (Illini Wishmas) up in my office cube, along with my paper snowman. The paper snowman has weathered one cube move and now has only one eye so he’s a one-eyed guitar playing snowman – but he still has fun, and people laugh when they see him!