There are certain things that outwardly display a person's character. If I have any outward display of character, it's my bracelets. I have seven bracelets that I usually wear and four of them I never take off.
Each of my bracelets tell a story. Starting from left to right:
1)This cool braided bracelet is one that I bought with my sister at Urban Outfitters. We're twins and we are completely opposite, but we bought these matching bracelets (hers is thinner and with different shades of blue) to always remind ourselves of each other.
2)The metallic bracelet was a gift from my godsisters in California. We never see each other, but I love that we take the time to send each other little gifts for little holidays like Valentine's Day and Halloween. This bracelet reminds me that there is always someone out there thinking of me, even when I don't realize it.
3) I made this black and brown leather bracelet at a camp I work at in the summer. I made this with my very first cabin and used it as a way to show my campers how to start and braid a diamond braid. It always reminds me of my campers and of the amazing week I had. I like that this bracelet is simple and unassuming;Sometimes, it's more about memories and the inside than appearances and that's what I learned from the kids at camp.
4)This is a hemp bracelet and it says F-L-K. This stands for "Fred Loves Katie." No, Fred isn't my boyfriend! Fred is a part of a retreat I went on with my junior class. At the retreat, we learn who Fred is (it's a secret!) and Fred presented me with this bracelet. It reminds me of the friends I made and my accomplishments on that retreat. I learned to open up to others and to recognize the hidden pain that others feel, and when I see this bracelet, I remember not to judge others on appearances.
5)This is a fun blue and pink vinyl bracelet. This was made 4 weeks after the black and brown bracelet, during my second week at camp. My friend and I were teaching to really young campers how to diamond braid, which is pretty difficult to explain to young kids using vinyl. Both campers kinda sorta understood it, but I found this vinyl discarded in the dirt later. Perhaps it was another camper or perhaps the little camper just couldn't get the hang of it, but I kept the vinyl and braided it up into a bracelet for myself.
6)This second hemp bracelet is my newest bracelet. A friend of mine came over to my house on a Friday, at the end of a long and busy 2 months and the beginning of a crazy weekend (crazy as in really busy...not like crazy party). I didn't really want him to come over because I was tired and already close to snoozing in front of the TV with my sister and another friend.But he persisted and he brought with him a big spool of hemp and tons of fun beads. We sat on the floor of my basement while my friend and sister slept and he taught me to make this cool hemp braid. We ended up braiding, talking and watching Forrest Gump until midnight. It, of course, reminds me of my friend, but it also reminds me that I need to take time to just sit and just
be.
7) This last bracelet was from my parents. They bought it for me while they were in Hawaii and I was working at camp and it says, "Faith ~ Peace ~ Trust." To me the meaning is simple: People need to have faith and trust one another and peace will follow.
What personality traits do you "bear on your sleeve?" What interesting stories do your accessories tell?Read. Think. Type. Rock.
-Katie
