Reflection
This project was very meaningful to me because it made me think about the meaning of why I have kept certain objects for a long time. During this project, I learned that there are a lot of people who hold onto things since a child. I was shocked to learn that some people my age still held onto their blankets from when they were a baby. This showed me how small items can have such a big impact on someone’s life. I always knew my reason for keeping my kindergarten t-shirt but as I created my “what we keep” page I realized that my t-shirt helps me get through milestones when it comes to my education. My shirt represents the start of my education so I keep it to remind me where I started from.
This experience connected to me asking questions because I had to find a stranger to find out what they keep and why. I had to explore what were the right and appropriate questions to ask a stranger when it came to trying to get insight on something that is personal to them. This experience connected to me making connections because in order for me to make a stranger feel comfortable answering my questions, I had to share my experiences with them. This made me discover some similarities and connections that we both shared such as loving music and using it to express our emotions. All of these things tie into my experience of trying new things because I have never approached a stranger, asking them something that may feel deeply connected to their personal life. This experience made me learn new approaches to communicating with others such as making them feel that you care about what they are sharing by making eye contact and listening quietly while they speak without interrupting to add a comment, this helps to make them more comfortable with sharing as well. My experience has impacted my thinking moving forward by making me remember how not just moments but also objects can be used as the reason to keep pushing through obstacles in life. This made me become more grateful for holding onto the things that most people might've thrown out.