Sunday, February 1, 2009

The Significance of Insignificant Items

This is Patrick... (as if the random title wouldn't give that away)

I place far too much significance in insignificant items.  I'm sort of a pack-rat, albeit an organized one.  I save too much stuff, thinking this is important to me.  For example, I used to save the tags off of dress shirts if I thought they would somehow influence my life.   It's weird, but I've mostly stopped.  Mostly.

As January ends and February begins, I'm starting a new Burt's Bees stick today.  I love Burt's Bees, almost as much as pie.  In fact, Burt's Bees is an untold secret in my life, that only my closest friends know about. If this is the first you've heard of my love of BB, sorry, you're just not quite in that upper tier yet. If you're not a "bestie", then consider yourself warned: I don't really "just do things". I'm an all or nothing kind of guy. If I'm not willing to pledge my life to its causes, then I want nothing to do with it. If I'm not willing to name my first born after its creator, it's meaningless. Digressing, if someone said, "Patrick! You're going to be stranded on an island! And have to pick between 'Bees and Pie," I'd be torn.  I'd probably take the 'Bees.  

I find this last stick of Burt's Bees really significant.  It has been through a lot.  I'm a meticulous 'Bees keeper, so it hasn't been washed, frozen, melted, or anything to limit its powers.  This particular stick has stood by me (or in my pocket) through the most significant events in my life.  She was there when I received my college degree, she has been the bottom of the Grand Canyon and back, she watched a sunset (or six) with me in Maui, she was there (along with my trusty Gerber pocketknife) when I held my bride's hand at the alter on our wedding day, she was the for our first dance, when we moved in together, my first day of work, and when my truck was hit.  It may be that my life has just had a lot of great changes lately and I happened to only have one stick of Burt's Bees, but I do think it holds some kind of magical powers.  

My 'Bees is a trusty companion.  I hope this next stick brings as much adventure, laughter, and joy as this last one has.

3 comments:

Elijah Davidson said...

You bought a stick on our way to Big Bend if I remember right. Was this that stick?

Becky and Patrick said...

No, I believe this is a different one. It's possible it is, but unlikely.

Elijah Davidson said...

I thought that would be a long time for a stick to last.