Well hello there. My name is Simon Worley and I’m a technology and business teacher at a North Vancouver high school. I am an avid traveller and tech enthusiast who will always take something with me in my bag… just in case. I love sports and being active and I tend to compartmentalize my life. I have several bags I use for everyday life, this photo being my work satchel, which I take to and from school. Even though this type of one strap bag might not be the most comfortable and doesn’t distribute the weight of the computers evenly, I prefer it to a backpack as I feel more mature and, dare I say it, European, when I wear it.

Here are two personal and two technological items to note when viewing the contents of the bag and their significance to my everyday life:

1. Two Laptop Computers. Yes, I carry two large laptops with me at all times. I like to have a clear delineation between my work computer and personal computer and since I seem to always be on a computer, I tend to need both during the day and in the evenings. Rarely will I go home and leave my work computer as I will probably be tinkering with an assignment at dinner or before bed. I do leave my school laptop charger at school on weekdays since the computer can typically retain its charge overnight.
2. AirPods: No, I do not work for Apple, but I will say, these AirPods are the best purchase I’ve made in the past few years. I am an avid podcast listener and you will find me with these in my ear ALL OF THE TIME. Noise cancelling has been a revelation. Being at a busy gym with these in my ear are game changers. It perhaps says something about me that I always have headphones in my ears. I tend to think of myself as an extrovert, but perhaps I should rethink that notion as I live 90% of my life deep in podcast and music listening.
3. Covid Mask: This was an interesting find at the bottom of the bag, but it signifies a huge change in my life. Covid was the catalyst for me picking up and moving across country from Toronto to Vancouver. I have a mask in all of my bags as there are still places that require me to wear them or people that are more comfortable if I do. This item is a reminder of when the world stood still for a brief time and when I see the mask, I am reminded to stop every now and then and simply stand still!
4. Deck of Playing Cards: I never leave home with out a deck of cards. My family has played cards together since I was young and they serve as a bridge to my parents and a way for us all to slow down and have a laugh. After a lifetime of travel, nothing is better at breaking the ice than pulling out a deck of cards and introducing strangers to a new game. They transcend language and few people can resist learning a new and fun game. As a teacher, I’ve used playing cards to engage quieter students and connect the classroom.

Text Technologies
The text technologies in this bag are almost all digital in nature. This doesn’t surprise me as I find myself navigating my world digitally much more than by analog. Even tasks such as list making (a favourite pastime of mine) is now completed on my notes app on my phone). Taking this photo and reflecting on my belongings as opened my eyes to how little I write things down. Even my classroom is all on computer and I rarely use the whiteboard for anything. To be honest, this isn’t a good feeling. While I am much more connected with others by using my tech, I feel that I’ve lost some connection with myself. Perhaps it’s time to revert back to old days, when I kept a mini notepad in my back pocket at all times.

My Narrative
The contents of my bag highlight the narrative that I project to others, a digitally literate individual who has embraced technology and, by using it everyday, really ‘walks the walk and talks the talk’. I must say that when I hear of someone who doesn’t own a phone or rarely uses technology, my first thought is not positive. Instead of assuming that this person couldn’t understand how to use tech, I should take into consideration that perhaps they are making a conscious choice to avoid it and be in the moment. Again, I feel that I’ve got some learning to do in this regard and I should work to better understand those who are reticent to adopt new tech right away.

An interesting note is that my bag would have looked incredibly different 15 years ago. Not only would I have been younger and have less of a need for so much computing power, I used to use notepads for everything. It took me a long time to get a smart phone and I hate paying copious amounts of money for the latest and greatest gadget. In fact, many of my tech items were gifted or second hand.

The contents of my bag will be viewed by future archeologists as a ‘flash in the pan’. A moment in time where the human race disconnected with each other and chose to connect with their technology instead. Well, I HOPE that is how this is viewed as that would mean that we, as a species, return to personal communication and connection.

I’m glad I didn’t alter the contents of my bag and provided an honest look inside my professional life. This was eye-opening to reflect upon and I might even take some lessons away from this experience. Of course, I’m currently using my computer and phone to complete this assignment, so… maybe not.