I really enjoy pouring over catalogs, so I enthusiastically decided on the L.L. Bean Deluxe because I need a roomy backpack. For the color, I debated among forest green, eggplant, aqua marine, and the other excitedly-named shades, but eventually decided on mallard blue. It was a shade of blue that bordered on iridescent. I knew no one else would have a backpack that color. I sent off my order form and eagerly waited.
It takes a few weeks for L.L. Bean to get something all the way to Kobe, but my backpack eventually arrived. I realized that mallard blue had been a bold choic. The color could definately be called u gly, and its brightness could not be denied. It was also humongous, especially on my small fourth grade body. The crowning detail was my initials "E-M" embroidered on the back. It was clearly an improvement over Dad's dork-case. I loved it, and it has since gone with me everywhere.
My bag has acquired a great deal of character since fourth grade. There are little marks and scratches all over the material. There's a small sparkly bead flower that my mother sewed on for me. One can faintly see where i wrote "implicit" on the bag. I wrote it because my father's favorite jazz band name was called 'Implicit Groove'. Thus, I went through a phase when I thought "implicit" was a cool word. Also on the bag is leftover stitching from where I had attatched a Thai flag, because I lived there for eight years before I moved to Kobe when I was in third grade. On the back pocket, I added a patch proclaiming me to be an "advanced" diver from the scuba class I took during the summer. When I have time, I plan to add another patch from Burger King, which I happen to love. The final touch is a pin that says "love" in kanji, but also my first letter in my name, "E" of "Ema".
I think my backpack is a good representation of me. Just like my backpack, my personality is full of random, loud elements that don't really make sense together. Their only unifying force is the fact that they all belong to me, so I like them. Just as my backpack has picked up a patch here and a beaded design there, I have picked up ideas here and insights there throughout our travels together. It records my history more personally than a diary every could, and although I know it is just a material object, I would be at a loss if I were ever to lose it. Unfortunately, it's falling apart so I cannot use it anymore.
