through the viewfinder monday: hindsight

One of my guilty pleasures is Vanity Fair Magazine.  I tend to buy it for the beautiful photographs (my photography idol, Annie Leibovitz, is a regular contributor), but I admit that I'm addicted to its often provocative articles as well.  My subscription recently expired -- I suppose I should add this to my every-growing to-do list in preparation of my new life...

... anyway.

Sunday night, I was looking at the VanityFair.com, and came across this video clip describing many personal papers and other effects recently found and previously owned by Marilyn Monroe.  Writer Sam Kashner discusses how much these items tell us about "the real Marilyn Monroe" -- things like meticulously kept bookstore receipts and perfume purchases are analyzed in detail to describe the life of Marilyn.

I thought about this, and what my possessions might say about me 50 years after my death.  The person who discovered my things would almost certainly fail to discover any receipts:  a childhood of moving around every two years because of my father's job pretty much eliminated any packrat tendencies I might have otherwise had, and I tend to clear out clutter with abandon.  Still, there are some items I own which I think are most certainly telling -- although, exactly what they tell, I'm not entirely sure.  They include:

- my cameras and computers (obviously)

- a startlingly large collection of cross pendants

- about 20 Swatch watches

- many journals, all only about 1/4 filled

- law school textbooks, books on becoming a writer, books on photography, books on art, books on art history, novels

- far too many clothes, shoes and bags, yet the vast majority of them generic or cheap brands

- my very full passport.

How about you?  What are some of the things you own that you think are pretty iconic representations of who you are?

Song:  After party, as performed by Ozomatli