On Meghan's Desk

Pictures are pretty common desk items, but my relationship is a bit out of the ordinary. Cam and I randomly met online through an IM application (offered on my company's community site) in 1999- he was in Australia, I was in NYC. Over the next 6 years, we intermittently communicated via IM and email. We both had serious significant other's and it was simply a pen-pal type relationship, never thinking we'd actually meet in person.

But in early '05, the vibe of the conversations changed (we were both now single) and it led to me making the first scheduled phone call, after a few Rum & Diet Cokes for courage. The connection was there immediately and many months of 5+ hour conversations later, we decided to meet in Hawaii, halfway between us.

At this point, my workmates knew the whole story, and were excited to know the outcome. Was he sane, honest, good-looking, nuts, actually living in his parents' basement in Ohio, etc.? Long story short, things went perfectly, (and I sent my team a 'thumbs up' text from Hawaii the first day) and now over a year later and four more trips back and forth across the globe, we're engaged and applying for my Australian visa, with a wedding date set for July '07.

Over time, many people who were following the story, or heard it from someone else, passed by my desk with questions about Cameron and what he looked like. I originally printed these pics for easy accessibility. But now, during those stressful moments, I can look up and remember that, 1. I'm very lucky, and 2. life's crazy & unpredictable, live each day the best you can (and try not to get caught up in the small things) as you never know what's coming next.

http://www.ten1000miles.blogspot.com/

On Zia's Desk

I like Mr. T. He amuses me in many ways, and reminds me of my childhood. There was a point where I realized I needed to develop in two fundamental ways: providing more feedback and providing more development opportunities for those who worked with me. So I decided to put those words into the mouth of Mr. T and have it serve as a constant reminder on my desk. I'm told that I've made progress, but I think that's because no one wants to offend Mr. T

On Cortney's Desk

The most relaxing and peaceful times I have ever had in life have been by the sea. The sounds and smell of ocean have the power to sooth me immediately. One of my most relaxing pastimes is walking up and down the beach looking for striped rocks. I have always been just superstitions enough to talk myself into believing that striped rocks are good luck. And…I am just enough of a “Type A” to always be searching for that “best” stripe. This mission for the perfect striped rock allows me to spend hours in my most relaxing environment without feeling one ounce of guilt. It is also a mission that requires me to slow down and be entirely present with my natural surroundings (lest I look over the perfect striped rock) which becomes almost of a Zen-like experience for met. Not to mention that the satisfaction of finding that “perfect” stripe is quite rewarding!

My fiancé has a similar fondness for strip rock “hunting”. We cherish vacation time that allows us the opportunity to be at the ocean and wind down by slowly combing the beach for striped rocks as we catch up on all that we have been too crazed to talk about since the last vacation. Over our five years together, we have accumulated quite a mass of beautiful striped rocks. As an engagement ring, my fiancé--also a jeweler—made a ring with a striped rock as the central stone. This striped rock had two strips running parallel to each other to symbolize our lives side-by-side.

The collection of striped rocks that I keep on my desk remind me both of the state of relaxation I get when walking down the beach as well as the love I have for my fiancé. Having a piece of nature in my otherwise sterile work environment reminds me of all there is to look forward to outside of the office. It partially brings me back to that Zen experience.

--Cortney

On Joey's Desk

Is food personal? (Is anything more personal?) Trail mix and cheese crackers *can* be personal when they're illustrating a somewhat pathetic urge to be self-sufficient, combined with a probable paranoia about being hungry (ever).

--Joey

On Jane's Desk

Small stuffed creatures are certainly somewhat questionable on the desk of a professional woman wanting to be taken seriously, but this guy has more to him than most. Darko (my partner) has had him since he was a little boy, and when we moved in together passed him along to me. At first glance he is a goofy little Penguin, but pull back his head/mask and he reveals himself as a small, somewhat confused Bear missing an eye.

I love him just for his oddness, but there is also a good reason he has migrated to my work space. As a consultant, as an ex-Internet entrepreneur, as a newly-minted modern furniture importer and retailer, and as an artist completely incapable of schmoozing dealers, I constantly feel like a Bear disguising myself as a Penguin. I am always scrambling to be the right person for the job at hand, and that person almost never feels like the "normal" me, at least not at first. Or maybe all these experience are adding to the "normal" me, and eventually I will "Be the Penguin." But I think I'd rather be the Bear.

-- Jane

On Nathalie's Desk

Something built for grand purpose and someone grand enough to remind you to actually do it. God that sounds so corny.

Okay, my dad, because I like to look at his eyes, and the wing I built when I was designing a book about Icarus, (which I never finished because a. it's a stupid story, b. it smells of old bitter men envious of youth and curiosity, and c. what is wrong with wanting to fly).

It's a really cool object to build and then to look at. My only regret, it probably wouldn't work even if I made the second one.

--nathalie

On My Desk

We bought a huge hole punch to use on a project. It was so incredibly satisfying to punch big holes out of paper I went a bit nuts. I grabbed a dollar and punched the hole out of it. At first it was just funny but I kept the hollow dollar (and the small round portrait of George Washington), and it started to make me think about why I work, and my relationship to money.

I always tell myself, "when I'm 90 years old, I'm not going to regret not having a new pair of shoes; I will regret not being able to follow a dream (or even just a whim) because I wasted all my money on shoes." The "hollow dollar" helps keep me focused on the fact that it's not about the money -- If I'm not doing something I'll be excited about in 50 years, maybe it's not worth it?

What's on your desk?

Work can be intense. Sometimes you need a reminder of who you are and why you're there, especially when it's midnight and you're not even close to leaving. I'm collecting photos of things people keep on their desk to keep them sane.

What do you keep on your desk? Do you have a good story to tell about it?

If so, leave a comment and tell me how I can include it here.

Thanks!
--hk