I love the jingling sound of my keys

My car keys. Where can I even begin? I am a teenager, and now that I can drive, I have definitely gained the independence that I have yearned my entire life. I can go where I please, whenever I please. But the one thing that I really love to do is personalize. Every time I add a new piece of plastic to my key chain, I add another aspect of my own self for the world to see. Currently, I carry my actual car key, my house key, a Hallmark key chain, a miniature lifeguard rescue tube, a small croc with the words, "I <3 Nick," and an American Eagle All-Access Pass. Obviously, I love to shop, I'm a lifeguard, and I love my boyfriend and Hallmark. It's amazing how such a simple item can be so expressive. But I also have to think about the amount of power I carry with me all the time. Think about it. With just a few inches of material, I can control an engine that could flatten a small child with no problem. In the end, it teaches me a lesson. I have to be careful with the responsibility I hold. And what about all the unnecessary junk I possess with no real purpose? In the old days, people only did or carried things with good reason. But nowadays, it's not the same. There is not always a purpose to actions, which gets me thinking. Maybe I need some real purpose in my life.

The techno side of me

I love how my entire life can be compacted into one little piece of machinery. Seriously. I can view my entire social circle with the press of a button. I can connect with people on the other side of the world by just speaking through an inanimate object. I can preserve memories with pictures and video. My cell phone is such an important part of my pants pocket. I carry it with me everywhere. My life is on that little device. The only way I know who my real friends are is by the amount of times I call or text them, and vice versa. Is that sad? Maybe it's just the way the modern world functions. I am sure that I am not the only person in the world to think that way. However, fifty years ago, things were different. People did not communicate with each other through a speaker or a keyboard. They physically went to each other's houses, looked them in the eyes, and had a conversation. In a way, communication back then seemed so ideal, so personal. Now, everything is robotic. But everything is also so CONVENIENT. For example, I have family across the Atlantic that I talk to once a week on the phone. However, if I was living in the 50's, I would only be able to talk to my family once a year. I cannot even imagine such a thing. And what about the actual way we communicate? I find myself proof reading my writing assignments with disgust because I have way too many "text words," such as g2g, replacing c with z, and so much more. All because of a cell phone.

One thing I cannot live without

I always make sure to carry one specific thing with me whenever I walk out the door. This is my water bottle. Water is my source of life, literally. Not only do I need it to survive, but I also need it to emotionally get through my day. Whenever I'm taking a test, I have to take sips periodically, time and time again. I actually work better that way.

My water bottle is my best friend. It is a Camelback waterbottle with that awesome spiget on the top that keeps the viruses away. Throughout history, germs have been around. The world is filled with germs, but my water bottle just takes one more step to protect me from those awful little monsters. The tab on the spiget allows me to pull it up without actually touching the material, so whatever I put into my mouth is as clean as it was when I took it out of the dishwasher. In order to further protect me from danger, I can push the spiget down so that wandering, germy hands cannot get near it.

The size of the water bottle has also changed in history. Thirty years ago, people did not drink water as heavily as we do today. My water bottle is 32 ounces, and even THAT is not enough for me. I find myself refilling my water bottle at least four times a day. However, times have changed.

Environmentally, my water bottle is the ideal item. I have had this bottle for a year, and it is the only thing I use to drink out of. I cannot even estimate in my head the amount of plastic water bottles I have saved just by purchasing this amazing phenomenon created by Camelback.