I am not a hoarder by nature. I’ve purged entire collections of comics, toys, records, zines, CDs, whatever just so I would not have to move them to the next apartment. Out with the old, in with the new. Of the few things I have held onto over the years, this mug is one of my cherished possessions.
My mom gave this to me for my birthday in 10th grade. It was a peculiar gift at the time and I’m not sure I recall exactly how I actually felt when I received it. Usually when you are 15 the last thing on your mind are kitchen ceramics. However, at some point between then and my first year of university I became very attached to it. This mug has moved 14 times with me. It’s seen me through some great times, some bad times, and some mediocre ones too.
To me, this is a perfectly designed thing. It serves its function well: holds hot drinks, comfortable to lift, long lasting. But apart from that it also has a very restrained and adequate amount of beauty. The black and white Charlie Brown striping adds just enough class to elevate this from a plain mug to an object of adoration and intrigue. Maybe not everyone sees this mug the way I see it, maybe I’ve projected a lot of nostalgia onto it, but I can’t help feeling that this mug is just plain fucking awesome.