Y’all want to do a little time traveling with me? Back in 2006, I shared an eBay find on my blog. When I was a senior in high school, on awards day, I won the English and Journalism awards. For these, I was given small medals that I later put on a bracelet with other gold charms. I also had a silver bracelet for my silver charms. Charms have meaning to those who wear them. Even charms that were not real gold or real silver had deep sentimental value.
Except for my rings, all my jewelry was stolen in a home break-in when I was in graduate school. My mourning for those charms was deep, because they had been coming to me since I was in fifth grade. They were from my parents. From school. From church. They celebrated milestones and accomplishments, friendships, and boyfriends and love. Charms are symbols of a person’s life, and it hurts to lose them.
When eBay came around, I would periodically look for things I’d once had, including those awards medals. In 2006, I found the Journalism award. It was from Balfour, and when it came, it was like having a piece of my history returned to me.
I tucked it safely away, and periodically, I’d check eBay again in case the English award pendant ever showed up. And THREE TIMES, because I never learn my damn lesson, I found one and bought it, and THREE TIMES, I got the Herff Jones version, which is not what I had and didn’t match the Journalism replacement.
I continued to check, and only one time did I find the Balfour English pendant, and it had been sold five days earlier.
Fourteen years later, in a text exchange with Marika in which we discussed the current sad condition of merchants who will rip you off, she said, “Stay away from eBay.” And not that I’m contrary or anything, it just reminded me that I hadn’t checked eBay in a while for the English award, and…
Guess what came today?
Now they are reunited. They are slightly different in tone, and one has a textured back, which probably means they weren’t manufactured the same year, but they are the same style as my originals. I found a gold-toned bracelet for them. Because I’m laid off and can’t buy real gold–and ha ha, couldn’t when I was employed, either–but I will wear these with pride. Not because I won two awards a million years ago that nobody but me remembers, but because I have defied thieves and reclaimed the symbols of my memories.
