Tuesday 26 August 2008

What’s In Your Pockets?

Tonight I emptied out mine and found:

1. Silver cigarette case. I’ve started rolling my own cigarettes and need somewhere to lump them. Like all the things I like, it feels good in the hand. It snaps open like a clam shell, easy as a gesture.
2. Packet of liquorice rizla papers. See above.
3. Asthmatic Bic cigarette lighter, dull as a broken lego brick.
4. Old silver ring someone gave it to me one glorious day on the beach way back, that day she said there were dolphins in my eyes. She’s gone - and I don’t wear it - but I like to keep it near me sometimes, to remind me someone else - and I - can love that much. It’s my talisman against settling for less.
5. Piece of shit clam-shell cell phone that’s about as clever as a nine volt scalectix set. Texting on it is slower than semaphore.
6. 250Mb flash drive. Last night’s work and some other random crap on it. Sadly no Defcon 1 missile launch codes.
7. Passport-sized notebook, for catching exciting stray ideas and mundane grocery lists. Right now it’s scribbled with cock-eyed storyboards for a spoof James Bond trailer Nick and I are making.
8. Jane’s writing manifesto, printed to bookmark size. She wrote it a few months ago, to kick my arse into writing stuff down.
9. Lamy fountain pen with a broad nib (the only sort that makes my spidery writing legible, even to me) and Parker sapphire ink. They don’t make this ink anymore, but if you wrote someone just a grocery list in this deep india blue, they’d jump trains, switch buses and walk blocks to see you.
10. Wallet with drivers licence, a waning debit card, maxed-out credit card, and about R125.40 bucks in change, after all the tequilas I bought tonight.

I think you can tell lots about a person by turning out their pockets. What’s in yours?

8 comments:

Chimera said...

Sorry to hear about the car. Sodding infuriating!
Your pockets are marvellously romantic. Mine have stray 5ps and chapstick.
My handbag on the other hand..! Aha! No turquiose inked parker pen sadly but i do a good line in leaky black rollertips, to-do lists from last Monday and stray mints from long gone dinner dates.
T

tinku said...

My handbag has my favourite pen from Muji, 4 eyeshadows, 6 lipsticks, various other makeup, bills I am ignoring, stuff to tame my hair, a light wallet, a large book (my bag is obviously way too big) and other things that frighten me.

Your list is much better.

Miranda said...

Two posts in such close sucession - we are honoured. Jane is right about your writing. You need to write more. Right?
As for your pocket contents. wow. How many pockets do you have? I only have yukky fluffy bits of tissue in mine. I have a cold. Ho hum. Sorry about the car. And the all nighter. Haven't done one of those for work since Rhodes, when I would do nothing but...

timothymarcjones said...

Chimera,
Chapstick and 5p coins, most arb. I suggest: a raygun-shaped water pistol, some crumpled stamps from Burkino Faso, something made of brass that sits in the hand, a mix tape cassette, and such and such.

tinku,
Books and favourite pens are crucial for well being. If you write anything it might as well not be with a blimmin bic. The dark recesses of womens' handbags do unnerve me somewhat. You could lose a London bus in some of them.

miranda,
How many pockets? You're obviously running around in short and t-shirts up there. Down here it's still corduroy jacket and jersey weather.

Jeannie said...

I love the wistful update on string and sealing wax...

Shells from the Norfolk beach we spent a week at in June.
Nappies and pull ups. Wet wipes in a plastic bag.
A photo of my mom at 13 months. One of me at 11 months. One of my second son last week. So alike.
Silver cufflinks from Jon's morning suit.
A borrowed lipstick I've never worn.
A pound coin to remind me what real money feels like in your hand...
Burts Bees Honey Lip Balm from my American sister-in-law.
A parcel slip, to be exchanged later today for a birthday parcel :-)

Goodness, it's a good thing we women have handbags rather than merely pockets!

timothymarcjones said...

Jeannie,
Some cool stuff, but I think handbags are cheating. Pockets are small, zen-ner.

Jeannie said...

You would not believe how un-Zen my life is at present...!

Jake said...

Rudie lighter which would just about do it there was nothing else in the house. Various business cards. Harrods Loyalty card. Sterling. Keys. Marker pen. Nokia E71. Plastic ards scarred by an application they were not intended for.