Treasured Tools
When thinking about the lifecycle of tools, it is essential to think about which tools are the ones that we treasure and how we make our conscious or unconscious delineation between what is necessary and what isn’t?
The tools that we have a stronger connection to are the ones that we cherish, the ones that we miss if we don’t have, and the ones we give extra care to. Sometimes these tools are chosen as they are vital for our jobs, and losing them would cause financial suffering. In this instance, it’s only logical to take extra care of them as maybe they are too expensive to replace or even are handmade and would take lots of time to remake. In some instances, it’s the memories or connections that we imbue the tools that give them high status. These are often marked as irreplaceable in our minds. It is less about the specifics of the object but the connections that they hold.
“I am afraid I don’t know Tsukumogami, and I am extremely Japanese!”
Examples of warm objects
-A handmade ceramic cup is a warm object
-A broom, used daily to keep the home clean, is a warm object
-A handmade wooden geta is a warm object
-A simple metal spike that you quickly fashioned to use to do *that* particular job and works perfectly, which every time you use it makes you smile thinking how perfect something so simple is… is a warm object.
-A mass-produced gold wedding ring is also a warm object if the owner decides it is (and assuming the context of the wedding union, it certainly would be)
-A mass-produced hammer can be a warm object if, for example, used daily and the owner thinks and cares for it, relying on it for the quality of their work.
HOWEVER, a laptop is unlikely to be a warm object, even if the owner loves it. This is partly because the information it carries (and that can subsequently be passed onto another computer when replaced) is what we are connected to.
