Core To One's Person

This post is best enjoyed by looping this track

Every year in December I make it a point to listen to an album or rather an anthology. DROELOE's "A Matter Of Perspective" is an album that's near and dear to my heart. It is composed of 3 different larger bodies of work, “A Moment In Time”, “The Choices We Face”, and “A Promise Is Made”.

I wrote about this album on my music blog, and you can read my review of it here, but it's not essential to this story. DROELOE released a companion video to this album and it's one that's stuck with me. In it, they explain that memories "are the root to our personal sense of reality".

In a strange twist of fate, I was discussing this idea with some friends the other day. Despite how things may seem, life persists after death in the form of memories. Then the following day, a buddy of mine made a post on their blog. thehistoryminors.com is a wonderful website that, at the time of writing, updates every Monday. The previous week's post and every other post before it aren't available anywhere else and only exist for the week that it's online.

The first post on the site was a teaser video, but the second was about something they saw on their trip to Japan in March of 2024. While walking down a road in a sleepy neighborhood, they had noticed what could only be described as a shrine. A Jizo statue in a flowerbed alongside some trees. There were a variety of things surrounding the statue, from a can of coffee to a statue of an anime character, all neatly taken care of. However, amongst the eclectic selection of adornments, was a very dirty plush. While most things were new, this was the one thing that stood out as properly old.

They go on to explain that they saw many other shrines just like this one and that having a space "that you can use to channel luck, spiritual enlightenment, peace, or good feelings" gets them going. So while prepping for a storm coming in the next few days, they decided to start their own shrine. Starting out, there are only two objects adorning a table they found. A figurine of "Devilman" and their childhood SNES.

When I first read the post, I had mixed feelings about these things. Our memories are what define us and are what make us unique. Some things are core to one's person, and without them, we would be completely different human beings.

Such things could be memories, or they could be objects that hold onto these memories. My childhood PS2 lives within the same 10 feet of the desk it's always lived on since my brother and I were kids. It's fundamental to who I am as a person. Without that, and many other video game-related things, I would not be the same person I am today.

When I thought about how they were leaving their SNES out to "rot", it felt weird. Something that I would consider to be essential to me, just letting it sit out and get overtaken by nature felt horrible. But then it struck me that this was a piece of hardware that was broken beyond repair, and instead of having it sit in a box forever, this was a way for it to have a new life.

I don't think I'd be capable of ever doing such a thing. I put all of these objects on display and I couldn't imagine how I'd feel if I ever lost such a thing. When I think of the most important object in my life that would destroy me if I lost it would be my necklace.

In December 2014, I wanted to get something for some friends I had made online. With video games being such an important part of my life, and these two people being staples in mine to this day, I thought Wayfinder necklaces would be very sweet.

In the Kingdom Hearts series, a Wayfinder is a lucky charm that gets its shape from a "paopu fruit". There's a legend in game that says if two people share the same paopu fruit, they will remain a part of each other's lives forever. This symbolic bond applies to these Wayfinders, and in a sense, these necklaces. After a year I swapped out the chain, but every time I left the house, I carried this with me.

About 3 years later, the company behind the game, Square Enix, decided to release a Wayfinder necklace, but this time made of silver and cubic zirconia. I immediately knew I needed to have it.

In December of 2017, it landed on my doorstep. Once again, I swapped out the chain, and I carry it with me everywhere I go. The original necklace still lives with the rest of my jewelry, alongside this necklace, but I think I love the new one a lot more.

This necklace and many things in my life are who I am as a person. My life would not be the same without them, and I'm proud to show them off as a part of me. Many things live on a shelf in my room that are core to who I am and they fill me with joy every time I see them. Other objects carry memories of times that weren't so great, but without those hard times, I again wouldn't be the person I am today.

I remember reading a post somewhere online years ago saying that while people may come and go in and out of our lives, for better or for worse, you'll still think about them on their birthday. There are a handful of people who have impacted my life to such a degree that I consider to be some of the most important people I've come across. Whether they're a friend, a partner, or someone who I've only known in passing, I still think of them from time to time, and if it's their birthday, I'll remember.

Whether it's a good memory or a bad one, the culmination of everything I've done has led up to this point in time. I know many people try to distance themselves from the worst of it, but without those dark times in my life, I wouldn't be as strong as I am now. Every person I've ever met has left some kind of impact on me, and I'm better for it. I've grown as a person and I'm happy that even through the worst of it, I've persevered.

As always, I will leave you with a few words.

Be A Real Person