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    Fig Industries: These are a few of our favorite things.

    At Fig, we’ve taken a moment to look back, too pondering milestones in our lives that have defined who we are as individuals. We’ve selected objects that represent our own origin stories, and have featured some of them on the cover of this issue. From the mixtapes that inspired our love of music, to the superheros that inspired us to take a risk at a young age, to items collected from the places we’ve visited and lived in, these items represent life moments—from seemingly incidental to monumental—that helped make us us.

     

    Kiera:

    MBTA Pass (Charlie Card): Moving from Pennsylvania to Cambridge, Massachusetts to attend graduate school at Harvard was a big decision, to say the least. Not only was I about to embark on an educational journey unlike anything I had experienced, but I was moving to a new city where I didn’t know a soul. My object is what we called a “T pass” (short for “MBTA”, which is the name of the public transit system in Boston). It represents the nearly 14 years I ended up spending in the Boston area, and the immeasurable learning I did while navigating and making a home in a new city. The experience had a huge impact on who I am today, and Boston will always have a uniquely special place in my heart.

     

    Pins: On the surface, these “London Underground” pins may seem like trinkets, but I selected them as something that represents the richness brought to my life by travel. Exploring other towns, cities, countries, and cultures has provided me with some of the most meaningful experiences of my life. Whether floating through underground caves in New Zealand, enjoying street food in Paris, or hopping on the back of a motorcycle in the Dominican Republic, travel has opened my eyes and my mind in extraordinary ways.
     
     

    Tina:

    Marvel Flair Card: I’m happy to say some of my favorite childhood memories were made at small local businesses. My Marvel Comic card represents the trips my dad and I would take down to the local comic book store, sometimes followed by ice-cream at the shop next-door. I was an awkward kid who didn’t always fit in, so it was a relief to have the Comic Book store to go where I felt comfortable, and saw images of powerful strong women. I love that I can look back to cards that are over 20 years old and have multiple heroines to choose from for my card option. Having role models of strong women is critical for our youth, and I’m happy to say these images along with other influences have helped mold me into the person I am today.

     
     

    Becky:

    Block Name Bracelet: A throwback to childhood, these name bracelets were so popular as a child in the 80s. I look at the size and realize how small my wrist was! Looking at this bracelet always makes me smile, it is a reminder of a carefree childhood and the simple joys of being a little girl.
     
     

    Melissa:

    Mix Tape: I was working at HersheyPark over breaks during my college years, in the old HersheyPark Arena vault, counting cash and balancing the daily deposit. We listened to great music while working, and I developed a crush on the resident vault deejay who put together half a dozen mix tapes of his favorite music for me. Much time was spent analyzing the meaning and thought behind every song. A mix tape was the ultimate gift because it involved hours of hitting the record button at the perfect time to record music off the radio and other cassettes. Music will always be the way to my heart!

     
     

    Matt:

    Tiffany Watch: Deb and I started our careers in NYC and I was honored to be working for such a world class organization. Although this piece reminds me of true quality, of walking the streets of New York in a suit and tie and of a very early career, what it reminds me most of is the time with Deb in New York. Early breakfasts at Hale & Hearty and late dinners or drinks on the way home from work. Walking through Soho or Chelsea on the weekends, spending hours at a corner cafe over a bottle of Bordeaux. That watch is more than an heirloom, it signifies and holds a whole lot of very wonderful memories.
     
     

    Deb:

    Gold Key in blue box: My Scholastic gold key art award from the late 1980’s (in my high school years), was the first accolade I received for a piece of art that I created. As an 80s child in a farming community, art was not seen as a viable career choice. This award was one validation that I could indeed have a life built on creativity.
     
     

    Lisa:

    Jewelry: I’ve kept the milestone jewelry that my parents gave me throughout the years, even though I would not be caught dead wearing it today. The cocktail ring with jade and my birthstone, though, I wear that one. It’s vintage, cool, and chunky; a conversation piece that will never go out of style.
     
     

     

    Pete:

    Super Nintendo Controller: This is my beloved SNES controller from my childhood. I loved playing some of my favorite games like Super Mario World, Donkey Kong, Yoshi’s Island, and so much more with it.
     
     

    Emily:

    Hello Kitty Paper Clips: My mom and I are a lot alike, we both love collecting interesting objects. When she was little she never liked using her school supplies, always collecting and organizing them. When she gave me a box of her old stationery items, I hung onto these Hello Kitty paper clips.
     
     

    Jason:

    1990 WWF Macho Man Randy Savage: As a kid, I was big into super heroes and WWF wrestling. I think it was a time, as with most young kids, where we are learning the difference between right and wrong, good and evil. We look to these expressive character archetypes to help shape our sense of morality. This plus as a 4-5 year old boy, I had a lot of energy and loved to do top-rope moves on my little brother, so to get and action figure that could act out all of my wrestling matches was incredibly cool to me.