Our clothes have a fingerprint

I read this fascinating article the other week on how a robber was nabbed based on a unique pattern of wrinkles found down the side of his blue jeans, as seen on the bank's surveillance tape. The puckers and creases along the side-seam of his pants were a result of how his body moved within the denim fabric, thus creating a kind of barcode, or fingerprint, which was used as indisputable evidence in a court of law.

This made me think about all the ways in which we leave our own marks on our habitats. I love thinking about how our environments, including of course, our own bodies, act as a record of our lives. The kinds of activities we engage in, the way we move, these are all silently recorded, day by day. Just looking at my office chair, it's evident that i like to sit on my heels while in it; the fabric is stressed and slightly pushed downwards from the center of the seat.

This also made me think about the notion of 'memory'. It's not an original musing perhaps, but i still find memory fascinating. Life may seem to exist right here right NOW in our field of vision, but the past feels very material nonetheless, thanks to not only records of experiences and thoughts stored in our minds, but also to physical records we may have; gifts, letters, scars, the way the soles of our shoes are worn down in the same place on every pair.

hmm.. fascinating indeed...