My Marching Band Gloves
As I slide my hands into my marching band gloves, I notice details that I ignored during the 4 years I was in Eastern Regional High School. The gloves are white and made of cotton. First, I focus on my wrist. A Velcro strap, surrounding my wrist, fastens the opening. As I stroke the palms of my gloves, I notice the fabric has tiny bumps to create friction and allow for a secure grip. The fabric covering the back of my hands has a soft, smooth texture. Next, my eyes move up to my fingers. I recall that the gloves’ finger tips were cut off; as a woodwind, I needed bare fingers to cover my instrument’s keys. A black mark of a sharpie is still visible, on the thumb, from where I marked the location to cut the finger tips. The finger holes are
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They are a gift from a very dignified man whom I regard with the utmost respect. Whenever I donned my uniform, I would put on my gloves to complete the ensemble. Wearing these gloves allowed me to feel at one with them whenever I competed (Turkle 2007). During football games on Fridays and the competitions on Saturdays, my gloves provided the finishing touch to a perfect uniform. We competed from our home show all the way to the Atlantic Coast Championships held inside the Hershey Stadium. I was a part of marching band for each of my four years of high school; consequently, the gloves represent my high school …show more content…
Before I joined marching band, I was, and I still am, an introverted person. In fact, socializing with people for more than half of an hour was strenuous for me before my freshman year of high school. This changed when I became a part of marching band. Because I was around people for long periods of time, my stamina for socializing significantly improved. Furthermore, interacting with people gradually enabled me to come out of my shell. By the time I became a senior, I no longer felt out of place in my friendships with the other students in marching band. This was significant for me, because I have always felt like an outsider in all of my relationships. Gertz stated in his article, “Our Objects Ourselves,” that the objects we possess hold the potential to shape and reflect on one’s identity (Gertz 2015). In addition to action figures, this statement can also apply to my marching band gloves. Due to all of my experiences in marching band, my sense of identity was
They are a gift from a very dignified man whom I regard with the utmost respect. Whenever I donned my uniform, I would put on my gloves to complete the ensemble. Wearing these gloves allowed me to feel at one with them whenever I competed (Turkle 2007). During football games on Fridays and the competitions on Saturdays, my gloves provided the finishing touch to a perfect uniform. We competed from our home show all the way to the Atlantic Coast Championships held inside the Hershey Stadium. I was a part of marching band for each of my four years of high school; consequently, the gloves represent my high school …show more content…
Before I joined marching band, I was, and I still am, an introverted person. In fact, socializing with people for more than half of an hour was strenuous for me before my freshman year of high school. This changed when I became a part of marching band. Because I was around people for long periods of time, my stamina for socializing significantly improved. Furthermore, interacting with people gradually enabled me to come out of my shell. By the time I became a senior, I no longer felt out of place in my friendships with the other students in marching band. This was significant for me, because I have always felt like an outsider in all of my relationships. Gertz stated in his article, “Our Objects Ourselves,” that the objects we possess hold the potential to shape and reflect on one’s identity (Gertz 2015). In addition to action figures, this statement can also apply to my marching band gloves. Due to all of my experiences in marching band, my sense of identity was