During our First Person Museum Planning Meeting in May, participants -including Lise Funderberg, author and FPA writing workshop leader- went around the room and shared stories about objects that have resonated with them. Samara Freemark from Radio Diaries shared the story of a well-worn atlas, Iris from Norris Square opened up about the handmade straw dolls she grew up with in Puerto Rico.

In the above video, Lise shares her ‘trash-picking find’ of a woman’s discarded sewing materials- and how her discovery of their shared hobby connected them, despite their many differences. She talks about how the objects in our lives connect us beyond the physical level- representing shared experiences that can transcend often daunting barriers. The lesson she takes away from this woman’s treasure, and one that we hope to expand upon in the First Person Museum, is learning how to appreciate each other. What might at first be considered life’s ‘mundane debris’ can also contain the transformative potential to unify and bond us to one another.

What objects have spoken to you? Tell us about them at next Wednesday’s First Person Museum StoryCircle. Get more details and RSVP here.
-Morgan Berman