Writers Choice-Duct Tape Wallet

There is a heck of a lot in my wallet. Some things that shows how weird I am, and some that I don't even know where they came from! If someone who didn't know me went through my wallet to figure out who I was, they would have a tough time piecing it all together.The first thing they would see would be a Brush -Up. It’s something that you stick on your finger to brush your teeth and then throw away. Looking at that they could see that I care about hygiene. Next to that is my driver’s license and credit cards, so they would find out the basic information pretty quickly: height, hair color, age, where I live, and what I look like. They might be mislead by that picture. I look like someone who just got out of jail! Next they would see photos of my family and friends, along with CPR cards, my plumber’s apprentice license, a punch card for swing dancing, and a random business card for a Swedish heating company. Now they know I'm in construction, possibly of ill repute from the picture; that I love dancing; and I have fun with my family. In our family picture we're all dressed like pirates!Gift cards for groceries, gas, movie rentals, and the Outback Steakhouse from two birthdays ago are all stuffed in a front pocket. The cards for the library, subway, and AAA are buried deeper in back with a few crumpled bills and lots of receipts. Let’s see, there’s one for cookie dough at Safeway, Bartells for silly putty, an auto parts store for what I need for a tune up, Fred Meyers for painkillers, a few meals at Burger Mill, and five quick summaries of my bank account! Hey, there's a pocket CPR mask back here too! Always be prepared! Now they know about my sweet tooth, that I work on my car myself, that I like fast food, have a glimpse of my random goofiness, and they would probably guess I was concerned about my finances and that I was having trouble with muscle pain and headaches, although those were actually for a friend.The more personal things are buried, and reveal way more than any photo or bank statement. Really deep in the money fold of my wallet is an old, worn note. It has been an encouragement for me in tough, lonely times. It describes the person a good friend of mine saw in me years ago, and the guy I hope I am with everyone. That's right next to picture of my class mates in New Zealand. They were, and still are, my family over there.I think my wallet itself is a better description of my personality than the things in it, outside of that note anyway. The wallet was given to me by a good friend from New Zealand. It’s made out of duct tape, the ultimate icon of industrial-strength functionality. Most of it is silver, but along the edge I added several strips of neon green, orange, and hot pink tape. It’s still just as functional but nowhere near as boring! Like me, its focus is on getting the job done, but still has a touch of definite color and adventure.Even though you can learn a lot of things about a person from their wallet, there is many things you would never know. If you were just to look at my wallet you would never know that I am an avid rock climber, that my dad and I go backpacking every summer, that my girlfriend and I do our devotional time together, that I like reading science fiction, that I have ADHD, or that I’m not a very good swimmer. There are some things that you can only know by spending time with me. It’s the difference between knowing about someone and knowing someone.