Your Turn
Your house is on fire. You have to leave now. Yes, I know you are going to take your kids and animals and a photo album. That is a given. But, if you can only take one thing other than those, what are you going to take? I think I would take my lifetime collection of concert tickets. It is a history of my life and takes me back instantly to that day and time and moment in my life even more than a photo album would.
I would grab my vintage Elie Tahari midnight blue velvet dress that I bought at Nan Duskin in Philly. I love that dress.
ReplyDeleteAnd my husbands credit cards. The ones he doesn't use. heh.
My laptop. NO question.
ReplyDeletemy tablet computer and charger. I wish I was kidding.
ReplyDeleteMy 2T backup USB Drive - everything on there is important.
ReplyDeleteOne of my grandmother's teacups.
ReplyDeleteProbably my Native American jewelry collection. I remember where I got each piece, what mine the turqoise came from, and I plan on passing it down to my kids when I get too old and senile to enjoy it. It spans a LONG time. I started with my first piece that my parents bought me when I was 17 so that is at least *mumbles* years ago!
ReplyDeleteMy Grandmother's framed Christening gown. Actually this would screw with me in a serious way. I live in her house and it is packed with vintage gowns, pictures from the before 1900, artwork that needs to be appraised, quilts, even my great Grandfather's Christening gown. The antique roadshow people would crap themselves at my house.
ReplyDeleteMy baby blanket. I've had it since the day I was born.
ReplyDeleteEnty, just a thought... you ought to scan them, just in case there is ever a flood or fire or something of that nature. You could keep them in a cloud storage away from your home.
ReplyDeleteThe teapot my grandma gave me on my 21st birthday, with a hand-written note tucked inside. After grabbing that and my cat, everything else would be totally negligible.
ReplyDeleteThe handmade quilt my grandma made for me, and my Xanax. Lord knows I'd need them.
ReplyDeleteI only had time to wake up my husband and son and grab the dog. The house was 90% destroyed. No time to grab anything.
ReplyDeleteI’d get the cat out of there and I’d save the plate that I’ve eaten lunch and dinner off since I was a child- my version of a comfort blankie!
ReplyDeleteHurricane Katrina numbed me from caring about "stuff". I'd grab the cat and the laptop, and not worry about the rest.
ReplyDeletemy jewels
ReplyDeleteMy antique collection.
ReplyDeleteI'm usually pretty amenable to buying new stuff and there isn't much on my computer's irreplaceable.
ReplyDeleteI have a ginormous giclee over my downstairs fireplace that my whole house is decorated around. It was a limited edition and the artist (http://www.billturner.net/) won't make anymore. It's probably the one item I would go crazy trying to replace.
I would die in that fire standing there trying to choose between my purse, computer or clothes.
ReplyDeleteEasy. My collection of first editions of some of my favorite books and my Balenciaga bag.
ReplyDeleteMy grandfather's cufflinks (I was his only grandson). This reminds me to get that safety deposit box I'd been putting off for so long.
ReplyDeleteLots of interesting answers in this string.
My external hard drive to save all my work.
ReplyDeleteMy journals (from age 12) and/or my paintings.
ReplyDelete@BigMama, I'd love to see your house and all your treasure!
Original wedding photo of my grandparents. It's not in an album, it's a large piece of art framed in its original wooden frame from 1917.
ReplyDeleteIt's all just stuff to me. I'd prob grab my purse so I wouldn't have to get new license and cards, and my cell.
ReplyDeletePrada lipstick print skirt and my Kelly bag.
ReplyDeleteMy iPad. I have too many other things to choose from.
ReplyDeleteIf people are worried about computer stuff, back it up in the cloud. Dropbox, Skydrive, etc.
ReplyDeleteMy purse, in which is my iphone. My whole life is in my purse!
ReplyDeleteI'd burn because I'd have to decide to pick my grand-daughter's hair from her first haircut and her first tooth, my beautiful bed and mattress or if I could sling my sofa across my back along with my priceless collection of boots.
ReplyDelete@Annie and nola - sorry for your losses! I can't imagine the feeling of sadness from losing all my possessions.
ReplyDeleteI'd probably grab my ipad since I sleep with it by my bed. But I hope I'd grab my childhood blanket, which was knit by my sister and has gone with me all around the world. Or maybe something to remind me of my mom, because I still miss her a ton.
Assuming as you said that I got to have the photos, husband, dog,I'd grab my Roy Rogers drinking cup from my childhood, and try to get my Roy Orbison autographed sunglasses.
ReplyDeleteMy books; I remember where I was, how I felt, what they meant to me, how they affected me. Each and every one.
ReplyDeleteMy firebox-it has birth certificates, jewlery and my Dad's baseball card collection starting in 1941 and ending in 1981.
ReplyDeleteMy firebox-it has birth certificates, jewlery and my Dad's baseball card collection starting in 1941 and ending in 1981.
ReplyDeleteI'd probably grab as much as I could, but maybe start with the wedding ring collection.
ReplyDeleteI've got a few. :)
Our house really DID burn down 16 YRS ago and on the way out I grabbed the photo albums and the safe with our important documents in.
ReplyDeleteI've lost everything save for the kids and clothes on our backs, so I don't really put much credence into "things" anymore. Not even pictures.
ReplyDeleteALTHOUGH, being as the social security dept said I have maxed out my limit of replaceable cards, I should probably grab that on the way out.
My box. Small box, but inside I have all my concert tickets, pictures of me with my parents, hair from the kids' 1st cuts, first flower my Hubby ever bought for me & many other silly memories. I even have the spork from our 1st date. He handed it to me & said "don't say I never gave you anything". I knew he was a keeper. :)
ReplyDeleteMy good jewelry and my Kindle.
ReplyDeleteOT - Enty, have you seen this article in the NY Daily News? I immediately thought of you when I saw the words "bacon tuxedo".
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/weatherman-albert-ramon-awesome-a-monkey-a-bacon-tuxedo-4th-grader-article-1.1047432
The safe in my bedroom closet. It has all my original genealogy documents, other documents, letters, coins, and jewelry...also a lot of dirt on people who can't afford to have it exposed.
ReplyDeleteI saw a similar situation on the news over the weekend about a bride who saved her wedding dress from a fire in her building, she was getting married THE NEXT DAY.
ReplyDeleteThat being said I would say my wedding dress.
There's no such thing as 'a' photo album in my home, it's more like 500 photo albums. I only have 2000-current online, so I would lose 30 years of photos from before that. My heart aches just thinking about it.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to grab dog food, treats, weed, and wine, but that's not logical. I would only be able to grab my purse & keys and dog leashes since they're right by the front door. My weed/wine/dog food is in the kitchen so doubtful I would be able to grab it, but this makes me think it's time to put a little to-go bag by my front door.
I would have to take the charcoal picture my friend (who died of AIDS a couple of years after) drew of my daughter when she was 2 months old. It's the only picture I have of her at that age and it's gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteMy phone and a change of clothes and underwear.
ReplyDeleteMy wallet and my laptop.
ReplyDeletemy computer backup. as a fauxtographer that shit is important.
ReplyDeleteThis is too sad to think about!
ReplyDeleteI actually faced that once, when I had to evacuate for a hurricane. All your life you think you'll save this and that, and in the end you don't bother with it. I just took a few days' change of clothes, a couple of books to read, and stopped by the ATM for some cash on my way out of town.
ReplyDeleteI had to evacuate for a hurricane once--Rita, just after Katrina. Horrible experience to say the least.
ReplyDeleteIf I had time, it would be the hard drive and the fire safe. If I had more time, all my scrapbooks and unscanned photos.
Chris, I want to be one of your kids, lol.
I would take Cancan's Kelly bag or Jolene's Balenciaga bag.
ReplyDeleteMy purse and my stuffed lamb, Fluffy. I've had her since my first Easter.
ReplyDeleteMy notebooks that I've drawn & written in since I was in middle school (turning 30 this year!).
ReplyDeletePassport
ReplyDeleteI'm with Maja; I STILL can't decide!
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm laughing at TGrape keeping an emergency supply by the door. Now THAT's who you want to be next to in a disaster!
I've already changed my mind 6 times in thinking about this. My scrapbooks/photo albums or either a couple of items my grandmothers left me?
ReplyDeleteI guess I will amend my earlier statement and save Maja. I'll drag her out, kicking and screaming...
ReplyDeleteOur "death box".
ReplyDeleteIt contains all important documents and letters to family, which we need to update, some money I think is in there and a list of contacts.
My husband started "death box" at the suggestion of fellow officers in the police department after Loma Priata and the Oakland Hills Firestrom it seemed like a good idea. Officers had died without leaving instructions for their families. My husband didn't want us left without having that information.
It freaks people out if I talk about, but it is a good idea.
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ReplyDeleteHaving lost everything in a flood the year I graduated, again ten years later to a hurricane, and yet again three years later to drug addiction and divorce, there's nothing I need besides my girls. Oddly enough, my hope chest (hand designed and built by my father) has made it through all this without any assistance from me. It's too heavy to carry!
ReplyDeleteI collect WW2 posters. I have them hanging in my home instead of pics or artwork. I would take those. I would want all of them because to me they are priceless. If I could only take one of them I would take this one. I'm using it as my avatar.
ReplyDeleteI'm kind of embarrassed to admit but besides dog and family and photo album I couldn't think of anything!
ReplyDeleteSomeone else said laptop and I'll go with that since it has a lot of personal stuff such as photos and would keep me occupied in my burnt pile of rubbish
Laptop and all 5 of my external hard drives. Also my cell phone and purse and jewelry box. I'm usually pretty organized on this as fire is always a threat where I live; I tend to keep things in a very orderly fashion and a stash of tote bags nearby. I could throw a lot into the bags and be out the door pretty fast. I'd die without my laptop and external hard drives; my whole life is on those.
ReplyDeleteLol at @TempestuousGrape. I've often said if my house burned down that I'd stand by to inhale the smoke but your idea is much better.
ReplyDeleteMy passport, purse, and a book from childhood called Once Upon A Time. Also my Swarovski jewellery - most of it has been gifts.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely my dogs; and if I had time, my iPad, puse, and my genealogical / family tree scrapbook.
ReplyDeleteI sort of did a "practice run" of this once, back after 9/11 when I was worried there might be another attack in DC. I got one of those big plastic tubs from Wal-mart and thought about what I would hate to lose most b/c I thought I might store it @a relative's house. Like some of you guys, I had photos, concert ticket stubs, my favorites from my antique book collection, my copy of Velveteen Rabbit from when I was a kid, my stuffed V. Rabbit & a few other childhood stuffed toys, and various little knicknacks of emotional value. It was an interesting exercise to see what I could walk away from & what I hated most to lose.
My family had *two* housefires, the first when I was 14 and the second when I was 23. The first (caused by my sister falling asleep with a candle burning) we lost most of our possessions and the house sustained moderate damage. The second (caused by our brand new roof leaking which started an electrical fire that burned in the attic and behind the walls for a few days before my mom noticed sparks coming from an electrical outlet and the smell of ozone) the entire house had to be rebuilt from the frame up but none of our possessions were damaged somehow. No family members or pets harmed either time.
ReplyDeleteTrust me that as it's happening, there is nothing you care about grabbing other than your loves ones.
My mother survived polio as a child. One of her doctors made her a beautiful book where he painted and did caligraphy. The children with her in the Polio Ward and staff signed her "autograph" book the day she was out of her full body cast.
ReplyDeleteI later learned that some of the children did not survive like she did. I would take that because it is the record of her survival and the children who maybe left a mark only in that book.
Kitty and my laptop (sure I could take the backup drive, but I know it would be the laptop). I MIGHT also grab my family jewels.
ReplyDeleteComputer without hesitation. Ok, computer and purse.
ReplyDeleteMy cigarettes and phone (they go hand in hand). Such a damned shame that cigarettes have such priority LOL.
ReplyDeleteActually my house really reported itself as being "on fire" once; we had six fire trucks here, smoke everywhere, guys with axes, the whole nine yards.
ReplyDeleteAfter everyone (incl pets) were out safe, I was throwing shit on carpets and DRAGGING IT ALL OUT (LMAO!) into the snow! I was getting in their way! Firefighters said I worked harder than them! :D
(Turned out to be some bad wiring in the walls; very little damage. But you get MAD adrenaline when the alarms go off!)
My daughter still has occasional tears and bad dreams about loosing Polly, her favorite soft toy,
ReplyDeletesigh,...... I already know that I have to go back in there and save the 90 odd babies she has.
My Peyton Manning/Dan Marino signed football. I love that thing almost as much as my puppy dog.
ReplyDeleteA big blue box that looks like a tackle box that has all my meds in it. No purse .. phone .. just the drugs that allow me to keep my kidney and my furry babies.
ReplyDeleteA case of family papers and photos as well as yellowed newspaper clippings. The newspaper clippings are of my maternal grandfather who was a NYC policeman who was given many awards for bravery. I bought a hand held scanner last fall but haven't gotten around to scanning those clippings yet. Gotta do that soon. I'd like to put all the articles and commendation letters on disk. He was an amazing man.
ReplyDeleteWe have had a fire scare in this house. My husband thought he smelled an electrical fire after we overloaded a fuse for the bazillionth time. (One of these days, we will update the wiring.)
ReplyDeleteAnyway, making sure the 16 cats and three occupants out of the house took long enough. I did grab my daughter's iPad and charger and my husbands Xoom and charger, but those were quick to get.
There are a lot of things in this house that have sentimental value, but it's all just stuff. It's not really that hard to replace a household where the primary decorating theme could be described as Early Thrift Store.
When my house caught on fire all I had time to grab was the phone to call 911. DO NOT TRY TO SAVE MATERIAL ITEMS!
ReplyDeleteMy jewellery! I dont have much but the few pieces I have are very expensive and top quality.
ReplyDelete