Objects of Association

What do you think of when you see these images?

[Image via Flickr]

[Image via Flickr]

People are creatures of association. If we see a giant gold “M”, we tend to automatically associate that with McDonalds. If we see a pair of sparkly red shoes, it’s a safe bet to assume most people are going to associate them with Dorothy. This goes past objects too. We associate smells, songs, and feelings to those familiar people and places around us.

When talking with someone today, I was interested to ask what object would my friends and family associate with me.This one definitely got me thinking. Is there really even an object that can be associated with me? Is there an object that can truly justify association with me? Do my friends really look at some object and think of me, even when im not around?

I’ve had tons of people tell me that they think of me any time they see something zebra print or anchor patterned, (maybe I have a problem, ok?!). I’ve got those friends who tell me that they are always thinking about me when they find a really great pair of shoes for cheap. I’ve even had people tell me that they think of me when they see someone with a busted up iPhone (story of my life).

So are these the objects that I’ve allowed to become associated with myself? It’s not like they are bad things by any means, but are they really what I want people to think of when they think of me? I’m glad to have made enough of an impact on those around me that they think of me just by looking at an object, even if I’m no where near. However, there’s so much more to me than a pattern, a pair of shoes, or a poor pitiful phone, and I’d just really hate to be defined by these objects alone.

It’s interesting to think about your own life in terms of someone else’s perceptions. If you asked your friends and family what object they most immediately associate with you, what would they answer? What would you most immediately associate with yourself?