Alright, apologies for the low quality picture, but here’s everything that’s in my bag. There’s not much, but it has everything I need on a daily basis:
- Laptop (technically belongs to my employer)
- Personal iPhone
- Work iPhone
- Hockey ballcap
- Motorcycle helmet (not in the bag, but attached to it with a clip on the bottom)
- Leather motorcycle gloves
- Book (currently reading “Music of Chance” by Paul Auster
And that’s it. I like to travel light. Beyond these items, the only other things I carry are a slim wallet and (unfortunately) a pack of cigarettes and lighter.
Going by the OED’s definition of the word “text”- The wording of anything written or printed- the most obvious example of text in my bag would of course be the Auster novel as well as my Edmonton Oilers hat, which has the team name and logo on the front. The hat is an interesting example, as it is a clear signifier of a subculture I participate in (hockey fan) and hints at where I am from (Edmonton). The novel also says something about me. Not just that I enjoy reading, and enjoy a specific type of reading experience (I’m a fan of post-modern American literature) but it’s also an indication that I still prefer to read in print, when possible, which seems to be something fewer people are doing these days with the advent of smartphones, tables and e-readers. I’m a bit of a traditionalist in that sense.
The computer and iPhones are examples of text technologies. Notably, I carry two phones- one is for work and the other is for personal use. I feel that this demonstrates how text technologies intersect with personal boundaries. My work phone is used for professional interactions. The only number I have saved are co-workers, and the only apps I have installed are related to my job- MS Teams, Outlook, etc. My personal phone, on the other hand, is where I keep my games, dating apps, conversations with friends and family, etc. I think it’s interesting to note that in today’s world some people, such as myself) make an effort to keep these things separate. If I chose to, I could save a fair bit of money by simply using my work phone for all my personal activities, but I feel it’s important for my mental health to keep those two worlds separate in a very literal sense.
I suppose the contents of my bag are an accurate depiction of the image of myself I outwardly project- I’m fairly minimal, I value my freedom, I enjoy hobbies that are quiet and introspective (reading) but also ones that are loud and dangerous (motorcycling).
Fifteen to twenty years ago I suppose my back would look pretty similar, although the technology itself would obviously be a bit different. That said, there’s nothing really present here that didn’t exist in some form or another earlier in the 21st century.
I think if an archeologist were to excavate the contents of my bag in the future, they probably wouldn’t be too surprised with what they found. Given that I don’t carry much with me, they might have a difficult time figuring out what kind of person I was… but if they were able to jailbreak my personal phone, I suppose they would have access to the most intimate details of my life, which is somewhat unsettling to think about.
That’s my bag. Thanks for reading.