Click on the arrows above for more information about the items in my bag.

For Task 1, I curated a collection of items I might throw in a bag if I expected to be away from home for the day. Between working from home, living in a small community, and chipping away at the MET program, I seldom pack a back unless it’s to participate in a specific hobby or physical pursuit (hiking, bike riding, etc.) Because my bag was curated and all of the items were chosen for a specific purpose, I feel like this is a relatively accurate snip of the narrative that is me; however, there is so much about me that is not encompassed by the contents that reflect the life I lead, the people I engage with, or the hobbies that I pursue. Each of those aspects of my life might be in their own bag.

What do the items in the bag say about me?
The items included reflect my need for organization, comfort, sustenance, and access. From these items, one might infer that I enjoy coffee and chocolate and that I am the type of individual who can’t go without a snack. The address of the loyalty card and the sweater may provide clues to my location and the climate. The laptop, cell phone and earbuds reflect my journey as an online student and my role as a remote worker. The planner hints at my need for organization and conveys a bit about my sense of humour. The hair elastics might be the only indication of my active lifestyle. The 11-in-1 survival tool might be misleading. I am not handy or survival-oriented, but this item reflects the people in my life. The dog bags signal that I have a dog I walk and spend time with.

Elements of Text
Several items could be considered texts or contain elements of text, including:

• Day Planner
• Instruction card for the survival tool
• Branding or tags on the sweater, wallet, pens
• Coffee loyalty card (Name and location of business)
• Ingredients or descriptions found on the Chocolate Bar Wrapper, Tide Pen, and Chapstick
• Cellphone and Laptop (keyboard, various apps, email, messaging, books and articles, etc.)

Text Technologies
The text technologies in my bag include my phone, laptop, and planner. My laptop, primarily for school use, reflects how I engage with course materials (online distance education) and readings online, using typed text to communicate. Several apps on my phone facilitate communication (email, messaging, WhatsApp, Instagram, banking, Libby app for eBooks, etc.). The planner is seemingly out of place as the only hand-written text element in my bag; however, I still consider it a technology. For all the many ways I’ve stayed current with upcoming text technologies, I still prefer using a traditional pen-and-paper planner to remember events and organize myself.

Literacies
The items in my bag indicate general literacy (reading and writing), computer literacy, and digital literacy. A case could also be made for physical literacy (hair ties) and tool literacy (albeit misleading!).

What would this same bag have looked like 15 to 25 years ago?
For starters, I wouldn’t have had to curate a bag of items but would have a bag already packed; my school and work activities would have taken place outside of my home.

My bag from 15 to 25 years ago wouldn’t contain a cell phone or a laptop. I was a late cellphone adopter; even when I did get a cellphone, I only took it with me for emergencies, and it would seldom be turned on. Many of the apps on my phone would be replaced with physical or in-person interactions, i.e. banking at the teller, reading a hardcover book, and using a separate device to play music. My laptop would also be replaced by physical textbooks and pen and paper notebooks. I struggled and resisted reading online for a long time. However, most of my reading is now done digitally due to work and school commitments and the convenience of an eLibrary.

The planner, wallet, snacks, and sweater are constants that wouldn’t have changed over the last decade or two.

How do you imagine an archeologist aiming to understand this temporal period might view the contents of your bag many years in the future?
As an elder millennial, the contents of my bag might be interpreted as a transition period where new and old forms of text and technology are being utilized.