I am surprised by the number of items that I was able to fit into my small crossbody bag, but here we go.
What’s in it?
Among other things, the list includes a the fourth book in the Game of Thrones Series (yes, I am almost there–one more book to go!), a few cosmetics; candies, lozenges, a library card, a wallet with my driver’s license; debit and credit cards; a pair of earrings with a loose clasp that I forgot I had in my bag; a random wire to connect a speaker; a Starbucks gift card; hair ties; a return receipt; my access card to my office building; car keys, home keys with digital fobs; hand sanitizer, sunglasses and a few interesting key chains (the ‘pink smiling kidney’ is from when I worked at the BC Renal Agency; the mini Compass Card keychain provided to TransLink employees).
Text Technologies
One of the definitions of text by OED is “The wording of anything written or printed; the structure formed by the words in their order; the very words, phrases, and sentences as written.” In this context, almost every object in my bag is evidence of the fact that text is ubiquitous. From the digital library card, to the candy wrapper, to the hotel address on the pen–each of these is an evidence of text technology. The text is indicative of which library I go to; where I work; where I shop from and what coffee I drink to name a few. In short, it can create a picture of who I am. Therefore as Scholes (1992) summarizes–text is creation.
While there is no explicit indication of digital text media in my bag (except for my smartphone, which is not in the picture); there are evidences of text technology in the printed receipt, the digital code on my fob, my access card, etc. Perhaps the most obvious example of printed text is the 1000-plus page weighty tome, which is a constant reminder to me that perhaps it is time to switch to an eReader, a glorious piece of text technology, which I am skeptical to use because I spend a great deal of time engaged in screen media. And, there is a part of me that simply loves the tangible feel of printed books.
Final thoughts
15 or 20 years ago, I was in the habit of carrying extremely large bags wherever I went, so there would definitely have been more clutter.
When I look at the objects in the bag, I do think they are a true reflection of who I am. The assorted items lead me to believe that I have a little bit of everything I need–some practical and some random–to get through the day.
I imagine that several hundred years later, an archeologist going through the bag would probably wonder about each of these relics from the past. Given the pace of change in text technologies, perhaps discovering a printed book would be akin to discovering an ancient Egyptian tablet or scroll with complex hieroglyphics, thus generating plenty of curiosity.