I have something that I call my box of memories. It used to be one box but now it’s actually two. These boxes mostly contains knicknack most people would throw away. Those small things we come by, are given or find which we don’t pay much attention to. I’ve made a thing out of saving small things like that because they’re also memories with stories behind.

These are my boxes which of course like everything in them have their own stories. One used to be my mothers and the other I got as a present. Both are from my childhood.

Here’s a photo of all the stuff in the boxes. Papers, photos, things given to me, things made by me, things I’ve won, tickets from places I’ve been and events I’ve gone to. Just a lot of random stuff.

Here’s things representing different phases and things in my life.

1. Converse. Because it’s been my shoe of choice for ten years.
2. Metal stars. I put them on clothes. Another fashion statement of mine for ten years.
3. A WoW game card because WoW was a big part of my life at one time.
4. Political pins. One from the year I was born and one from 2004 from one of the protest rallies I went in. These represent my time as politically active.
5. A friendship ring. I bought one for a friend and one for me.
6. A coin with a important story behind.
7. A pendant I wore a lot in high school, bought at my favourite store in my old home town. This one broke but I have another one exactly the same which I still wear at times.
8. Something from my days as a live action role player. The last year of high school fantasy/medieval LARP’s was a big part of my life.
9. Dog tax (yes, there was a tax for owning dogs in Sweden at one time) marks for my dog Puff who passed away in 2003.
10. A cigarette from India, handrolled in a eucalyptus leaf. Me and my friends bought these at the local new age shop back in high school.

Stuff my family has given me. A couple of these things are the only things in the box(es) that actually are worth anything money-wise.

1. Spoon from Visby, from one of my siblings.
2. Collectors coin with saint Birgitta on. From my grandmother since Birgitta is her name and one of my middle-names.
3. Rings of beads, from one of my siblings.
4. Lollipop, from my parents.
5. Miniature bible. It’s a real bible, readable and all. At least with a magnifying glass.
6. Coin with writing on (“Sisters, we share joy we share tears, our special bond lasts through the years”), from my sister.
7. Ring, bracelet and clock which belonged to my great grandmother.

Stuff friends have given me.

There’s stuff from the nature in my box(es) as well.

1. A pipe made of leaves which my grandfather made many years ago.
2. Bark from a oak tree in my old home town. It was a beautiful tree located in the forest where I used to take walks. It’s the same oak featured in these photos.
3. A stone from a beach in Visby, Gotland; My favourite place in the world.
4. A rose bud from the rose bushes outside the house where I grew up.

These are entrance tickets from amusement parks, a concert, a bandy game, a movie, a bus card from a trip with my friends, ferry tickets from trips to Gotland and a ticket from a cruise to Finland with my family.

This is everything rock festival related including all my festival bracelets, my backstage pass, a food ticket, pins and concert schedules.

Some random stuff.

1. A balloon from my 18th birthday which amazingly enough still has some air in it.
2. One of my teeth.
3. A piece of candy given to me by a rock star. I’m not gonna tell you who because it’s no one that cool.
4. My first watch.

Notes friends and family have written me.

Locks of my hair.

The only medals I’ve ever received.

1. When I was ten I played in a bandy cup. My team won. Not much thanks to me though.
2. From the yearly skiing event at school. Everyone got a medal.
3. From swim school. Another one of those medals everyone got. Funny thing is I got a medal but I didn’t learn to swim in swim school. I learned it on my own years later.

Well that’s some of the stuff in my box of memories. Like you saw in the second photo there’s a lot more than what I highlighted here. And every one of those things holds a memory, of a person, place, event or time.

Plugs: Justin, Allie O'Bannon, Aly, Ashley, Charley, Cecilie, Angie, Rachel, Deanna, alisha, Mimi