Museum of Values

"The most important things in life aren't things" - Anthony J. D'Angelo

An object that is important to me is my phone. My phone is a very important item because it allows me to communicate with loved ones, aids me when I have questions, has the ability to take  pictures and videos of fun times, and so much more. I remember the day I got my first phone and how excited I was. My mom and I went down to our nearest Verizon store immediately and set up a data plan so I could begin using it. I set up my own accounts on every social media platform you could think of and downloaded countless games. To this day, I still cherish my phone for its abilities, including the ability to cure my boredom. 

An object that is important to me is a drawing of my uncle I made when I was a little kid. It was a portrait of him and in writing it says I drew my uncle because people say we look alike. At the time he was the main father figure in my life. When he passed away it was just kinda a cool thing that I like and is a prized possession.

My ipod shuffle is something that is important to me because it brought me only good memories with my childhood best friend. We would always listen to it on the bus sharing headphones and counting trash cans. I wish that we were still that close but now all I have is the ipod shuffle with its eight songs to remind me of a great friendship I used to have. I hope someday we will become close friends again and then we’ll listen to the ipod shuffle and remember grade school all over again.  

A valuable item that I own would be the silver ring that I wear all the time. It was a gift my dad got for my mom when they first started dating and now my mom gave it to me. It makes me feel special because it was a way that my dad showed my mom that he loved her. And that it is from my grandparents jewelry store makes it even more special to me. I wear it because it reminds me of the unconditional love that my parents have for each other and for our family. I feel prideful everytime I look at it. 

My valuable item is a little nerf football, it was a football that my grandpa got so that when I was at his house we could play with it. We would play with it every single time I was there. He passed away a couple of years ago and when we were going to clean his house that's the first thing I saw and every time I see it, it makes me think of him. I leave the football in my room so I see it everyday.

An object that is important to me is my car. My car can take me anywhere and help me to spend time with my friends, see my family, go to school, travel, have adventures, comfort me, provide warmth and cool, and is a safe place for me to think. My car is important to me because it is there for me when I need it. When I’m having a bad day, I can go in my car and listen to my favorite song and it makes me feel better. When I need a moment alone to think, my car provides me a safe quiet place for that. My car never judges me for what I do and how I choose to deal with it. My car is safe and provides me with what I need when I need it. 

An object that is important to me is my gold little earring cuff. It is important to me because my mom gave it to me. One day I saw her wearing the cuff, and I thought it was cute. So I asked to borrow it. My mom said yes, and I was so excited because I thought it was so cute. So the next day I wore the cuff. When I went to give it back to her, she said “You know what? Why don’t you keep it?”. I was shocked because my mom wore the cuff a lot. But to her, she saw how much I liked it, and she cared enough about me that she gave it to me to make me happy.

I have two blankets that I sleep with every night. I’ve had them since I was a baby and one of them has my name sewn on. Both were given to me by my grandmothers and I really value them. Before I came home from the hospital my parents took them home and had the cats smell them to get them acclimated before they met me. I named them when I was little, and they both have some spots where they are very worn down because I’ve had them for almost 17 years. I can’t sleep without them and it reminds me of being little and not having any cares in the world. 

My aunt's necklace is one of the most valuable items for me. My aunt was like a second mom to me. I was very close with her. She never had children of her own so I was like her daughter. She would always wear a gold necklace with a saint on it. La Guadalupe is an important figure in my religion. I always wanted one like hers. It’s the only thing I want from her since she is gone. 

I am Japanese on my fathers side of the family, so I have very small hands. I have never been able to find rings that fit my fingers. My grandma Sachiko, who immigrated here from Japan, was just as small as me. When she passed away in 2016, I was told that I would receive her jewelry collection when I was a little bit older. About three years ago I received her entire collection of jewelry. I found a small gold ring that fit my finger perfectly. I now wear it every day, as a reminder of her. 

A valuable item of mine is my .243 bc thats the gun my dad first shot a deer with and that is the gun I shot my first deer with 

One object I value is my phone. Even though it's addicting, it’s still very helpful. First I am never bored, second it's where I get all my facts and data, and lastly it keeps me in check with dates and alarms. A story behind that item is that I only have a phone to this day because my dad watched one tik tok video on why iphones are needed for kids. 

One object that’s important to me is one specific ring that I own. This ring is valuable to me because I got it from my dad when I was still in middle school. It’s probably not what you think of when you picture a ring. This one is super bent and the design is almost completely gone. The reason why I find it so important is because of the story that I received when he gave it to me. It was a gift to my dad from my grandma when he was 17 or 18 years old. This was an object that he had had with him for almost half of his life at this point. He explained the different stories connected to it along with why it was so bent up. To me this ring represents my family and the stories that happened even before I was born.

An object that is very valuable to me is my rock-hard orange slime in a small plastic container. This object was a nice piece of slime and over the years, it got very hard. This slime that I have kept for almost seven years now was slime that my best friend and I made when we were 10 years old. My best friend, her name was Michelle and she died of cancer. Michelle and I always used to make slime together every time we hung out at each other's houses. That orange slime is the one she made but gave to me and I have hung on to it ever since because it is the last slime that we made together. Every time I come across that container of rock-hard slime in my room I get a smile on my face because it makes me think of her which is why I value it so much. 

One of the most important objects I have to me would either be my car or my teddy bear. This is because, my teddy bear was a gift from a police officer when I was a toddler and my brother got one as well but it was my best friend when I was 3-6 or 7. The bear and I had a lot of adventures that required my dad and grandma to sew it back together but I keep it today because it holds a lot of my memories as a child. My car was a gift from my step dad and step grandpa that if I fix it I can keep it the car holds a lot of memories from my step dad to my uncle and long before that its a 78 pontiac firebird that no one could figure out why it didn't work. But, now its running and a project car that I plan on making faster than my dads.

The object that is so important to me is my hairbrush. From such a young age my family has taught me that taking care of myself is very important. They engraved in me that you should always start the day with your best foot forward, even if it's the small things like getting ready in the morning. Those small things add up. Another small object is gnomes that me and my mom painted when I was little, these gnomes are so important to me because she was the one who taught me how to live life to the fullest. Your life is what you make it and because we had so much painting when I was younger, those memories will be with me forever. 

An important item for me is my Italian flag that I took here in America from Italy. On the flag there are all the signatures of my friends and family back home, and some people personalize it with some goodbyes. At the end of the experience I’m going to ask my American friends and my host family to sign the same flag. For me, this item is so important because now I have two houses that are far away from each other, but with this flag they are kinda in the same place. 

An object that is important to me is a map on my dresser in my room of Hawaii and all the different kinds of fish in Hawaii. I got this when I was 7 years old and it was a way to remember when I went there a few times when I was younger. It is so important because it is one of the only things I still have from the trip and I got it when we went on a submarine. 

An item that is important to me would be my yellow bear that my dad got from Kuwait. Its important because it holds a lot of memories, for example when he got home from deployment early and surprised us with the bears and I chose the yellow bear because Owens favorite color was blue so I let him have that one. Once I got that bear I had to sleep with it every night and even though I don't anymore I still have it sitting out in my room. I remember my mom would have to hurry up and wash the bear because I got so nervous whenever we would go somewhere that I would forget the bear that I always double checked that I had him, I never once lost him. 

My valuable item is a bracelet from my mom that has a cross on it. It's important to me because it was a bracelet her mom gave to her. So it's been carried down from generation to generation and I plan to keep passing it down. It means alot to me and our family so it's a big tradition to keep it moving on.

An item that is important to me is my skis. My skis are important because they let me do my favorite activity and they look sweet. I have had a lot of skis but the  pair that I have right now are my favorite pair. They're my favorite because they are buttery and fun. 

An object that is important to me is my truck. The reason my truck is so important is because it allows me to have freedom which I can use to get anywhere I need. I use my truck everyday which means that it has a lot of miles to many places such as my grandparents house, school, home, and too many other places to name. I got my truck last year from my parents and grandparents. It's a 2009 Chevy Silverado which is nice for me because I haul a lot of horses around and a truck is necessary to be able to transport them. Since the day I got it, I have been a chauffeur for my little cousins and for anyone else that needs a ride.  

Something that is important to me are the calf bottles that I have. Around 3 years ago my dad bought 2 bottle fed calves with the intention of my little sisters getting up every morning and feeding them. Little did I know, he wouldn’t tell my mom until the day that he brought them home and she was not happy about it to say the least. Eventually she was ok with it but my little sisters were not the ones who did it every morning and night. My mom wanted nothing to do with it so eventually it became my job and my oldest younger sister's job. In the end it was ok because we got the profit from it even though it was an intended job for the younger two. This taught myself and my sisters a lesson that hard work pays off in the end when you make a little money. To this day we still get bottle fed calves every spring and we even have a few calves during the winter time, which has been a struggle in itself but still a good lesson overall.

One of my most valuable items is my oldest sketchbook. This represents all of the years that have passed and how I spent years to improve myself. It reminds me of my successes, my failures, and the people who supported me. One of my goals is to strive for self improvement, this sketchbook helps me see that I can change and move forward in my life. I can learn to stop struggling in the past and instead focus on what’s in front of me and how I can handle it right now. 

One of my most valuable items is my oldest sketchbook. This represents all of the years that have passed and how I spent years to improve myself. It reminds me of my successes, my failures, and the people who supported me. One of my goals is to strive for self improvement, this sketchbook helps me see that I can change and move forward in my life. I can learn to stop struggling in the past and instead focus on what’s in front of me and how I can handle it right now. 

In my room I have a poster from an event I planned and coordinated, this event was called Wag and Whiskers Pet Show. I keep it around because it reminds me of all the hard work I put into it and the result. We raised over 500 dollars for our local animal shelter. I planned this event for my silver award for Girl Scouts. Unfortunately Covid pretty much destroyed any plans we had for presenting the success of the event to the council, so I keep it around to show me that plans change and hard work pays off. 

Something that I value the most is that softball that is hanging in my room. My dad and I put open a softball and hung it up, it was the first softball I hit my homerun and it was a special moment for me because it was a day I will never forget. That softball represents more than just the homerun, it represents all the time I was hitting in the batting cages at our house with my dad. It was also the summer before we found out my grandpa had cancer. Softball was his favorite family to play and he was very good at it. He is still to this day in the Minnesota Softball Hall of Fame. I spent a lot of time with a softball around me to the point where it is part of the blood in my family. Getting the softball hung in my room is a feeling that I made my grandpa and dad proud of the progress I have made. 

My first truck that i got with my dad it was nice we got it somewhere outside of rapid city and we saw it on facebook marketplace and once we got there we figured out that it looked better than it did in the pictures and that was a few problems with it at first that me and my dad had to fix but i have had the truck ever since, for about 3 years now.

My valued item is my cross necklace. The reason this necklace is valuable is because, it reminds me of how graceful my Lord can be. I got this necklace @ Hills Alive which is a christian music festival that happens every Summer. My family goes camping multiple times a Summer so we are always able to go to Hills Alive, in fact, I actually helped out set up Hills alive last Summer.

My necklace is my most valuable item. My mom gave it to me last Christmas and I rarely take it off. As a representation of my birthday, it's a dainty silver necklace that says 676 in an edgy font. I got in trouble constantly as a kid and remember being called a devil child a lot, so for a majority of my life I struggled with an understanding of whether or not I was a good person. My due date was 6/06/06 but instead I was born a few minutes after midnight so I see that 7 as lucky, or the good within the bad. My necklace is a reminder that my mistakes don’t define who I am but instead the decisions I make daily to become better. 

An object that is important to me is my OCP uniform. This uniform is important to me because it comes with many feelings. The first few that come to mind are pride and excitement. My OCP reminds me of the three generations above me who served- and the feelings of pride I hold to be the fourth. Many others have worn this uniform before me- hand-me-downs within the military, as I’ve learned, have been prominent. With this uniform comes excitement, joy for the future, and what will be held for me. 

An object that is important to me is a bracelet that my ex best friend gave me. I was given the bracelet by them before we stopped being friends. It’s important to me because it reminds me of a mistake I made and it reminds me to not make the same mistake to other people that come into my life. 

I value my ring, I got my ring as a gift from my dads best friend. She lives in Nashville and she has a few family members that live in England so when she traveled there a few weeks before Christmasm she sent me a bunch of jewelry that she bought for me. The ring was my favorite one because the words ingrained on it say “whatever goes around comes around” and it’s supposed to symbolize good karma. So like the good you put out into the world is going to be returned to you. When she lived with us a year ago she always taught me about always staying positive and sharing kindness with the world and that’s why I value the ring as much as I do.

An object that holds much value to me would be my stuffed animal I got when I was a baby. My parents got me this stuffed bunny, Greenie, when I was born and I’ve had it ever since. I still keep this stuffed animal in my room and I am positive I will keep it forever. When I see Greenie, I’m reminded of my childhood and my loving family that gifted him to me. I feel a sense of peace and comfort when I see and hold this stuffed animal because I always slept with it when I was little and it helped me get through my childhood. It also reminds me of my best friend that moved away when I was young. We would always dress up our stuffed animals and take them everywhere. Greenie holds many memories and reminds me of my friendship with Keira as well which is why this object is sentimental and important to me. 

I got a motorcycle, it is a 2019 yz450f dirt bike that I converted into a street bike. I got it in may. This is important to me because I have wanted a supermoto since I was little because I have always wanted to do stunt riding and supermotos are some of the best bikes for this. When I was little I would always see supermoto content on youtube. It is what got me into the bike scene.

One object that I hold dear is this archery t-shirt I got at Terry Peak. I honestly don’t even know where the t-shirt is anymore because it was about five years ago that I received it. However, the value of this shirt is not in the object itself, but in what it represents. At Terry Peak, during the summer, they have a bow and arrow course where you walk around the mountain and shoot at various targets. Growing up, I would shoot bow and arrow with my dad and sister. I really enjoyed those times as it was a great way to spend time with him and develop memories. When we went to Terry Peak that summer, I spent the whole day with him and my sister. Throughout the hike we had some great shots, and some that didn’t even hit the target. However, through both our success’ and hilarious failures, we created memories that I will remember forever! This is a memory that I really hold dear, and therefore, I value the shirt that represents it. Through this simple clothing item, I am reminded of the importance of family and how much I value the moments I get to spend with them. 

I value quality time with family and friends. If I could think of one thing that represents quality time, it would probably be cards. This is because every weekend we went to my grandma's house. We did a lot of fun things there, but one of the main things is we always played some card games. So this reminds me of all the fun, quality time I got to spend with my grandma growing up. 

The things that always have the most value behind it to me are little pieces of jewelry. I have some rings and necklaces. I have a necklace that was my moms before she passed away, that my grandma had, she had given it to me and I wear it here and there because it was my moms. I have some of her rings as well. 

I have a lot of different action figures my dad got me when I was younger. We would always go to this store called rainbow comic store. They would be important to me because I was young and thought they were all so cool and me and my dad would bond over Marvel and these characters. I don’t see my dad a lot and he hasn’t always had the most money because he has a lot of child support and did not have an amazing job. He also has six kids, so when just the two of us would do something together, it would be really important to me and all these action figures remind me of those times.

Over this summer i bought a 1969 chevy c/10 long bed stepside that was sitting in a field at a farm a little ways away from the main building. I first saw it when my grandpa and i were pheasant hunting and i saw it and sked if we could go look at it and since then i loved the truck even after seeing all the rust and what the mice did and it missing a seat and how bad its been banged up and everyone telling me i wouldn’t want it because of all the problems it has and how much itll take even make look a little decent. After being told that for almost a full year i asked the guy if i could buy it and he said hed let it go for $500 if i didn’t just flip it to make money on it. I went and picked it up with the first truck i got picking up the first project truck and first truck i bought. Sure the c/10 needs a different engine but i already have one for it sure it needs cab corners, rocker panels, the floor pan, the fenders, the parts of the fire wall, sure it needs repainted, sure its going to be a money put but sometimes you have to thing about the long run. At the moment im planning on buying a 12 valve cummins to put in it for fun because why not. All the people that tell me its not worth having that truck are the people that pay other people to work on their stuff and dont work on it their selves adn yes that would get very expensive but if you do the work yourself its not as expensive.. Its 100% going to be expensive yes but it wont be as bad as paying someone to do it.

I value my terracotta turtles which reminds me of my mom. It was handmade from Florida where she grew up, and she gave it to me. I value this because it reminds me of her and how much she’s sacrificed and given for me and my sister. I value my track season, discus and track remind me of my dad. He supports me and especially helps me through track season mentally and physically. He helped me stay to my goals and reminds me that discus makes me happy. I value my necklace, it reminds me of her every day. When I put my necklace on everyday, it reminds me that I should be grateful for the close relationship with my sister. I value my phone because the homescreen is a picture of my puppy, and it brings me joy whenever I see it. 

One object that is super important to me is my Bible. Over the summer, one of our family best friends passed away and through that I found God again. I got baptized towards the end of the summer and that wouldn’t be possible if it wasn’t for reading the Bible and spending time with the word. It has become a safe space for me and something I run to when I need comfort.