We are able to form emotional connections with objects even though they themselves have no emotions, no capacity to love or regret. The “Lost Objects” workshop worked with students ages ten to twelve to explore the relationship we have with objects, like pennies, notes, and photographs, using the short story as a vehicle.
I was in a wallet where all the other coins made fun of me, a penny. Especially the dollar coin, who showed off by pushing me right out of that wallet because I was an Abe Lincoln coin, and he didn’t tolerate unimportant coins.
The wallet’s owner didn’t see me roll away. On the ground, humans stepped on me. One human had gum on his shoe. He dragged me along onto a bus, to his work, and then scraped me off. Yuck!
I spent all day rolling out of the office building. Then I found a friend, an earring who had fallen off of her owner’s ear. But she got blown away in a strong wind! I hid under a piece of cloth.
One day, a storm blew in, and I was blown away, too! I felt homesick and wished I was back in the wallet. Then one day, a little boy picked me up and danced with delight. I was put in a piggy bank with a lot of other pennies.
