All Old Things Are Priceless

I am moving this weekend. To honor the occasion, I opened up my top desk drawer. I haven’t opened this drawer in months. I haven’t looked deep inside it in at least a year. I treated it as a museum for my very important papers and receipts and reporter stuff. I don’t think I’ve cleaned it out in eight years. Two days ago, I decided to clean it out.

Here’s a small fraction of what I found (most of which I decided to keep):

• One business card bearing the name of David Catania. Not sure how vintage this card is since he still practices law on the side. But it was his business card for his work as an attorney. I’m gonna date this card from 2000 or so.
• One reporter’s notebook containing pencil on white paper notes from an artifact (remember those?) profiling the Black Cat Guy—Bill Turner. Notebook dates to 1997-1998.
• One D.C. Police Department-issue press pass (yellow with small one-inch-by-one-inch black and white photo taken by Darrow Montgomery). Photo reveals reporter thought big sideburns were cool. Photo and press pass from 2003.
• One tape, the last known recordings of John Thomas Cade Jr. aka “Junior.” Junior was killed in a drive-by shooting on December 27, 1994. His murder remains unsolved. You can read about him here. Tape placed in desk in December 2000.
• Ticket stubs to Cal Ripken Jr.’s second-to-last game ever, a Mekons show at the Black Cat, and Ornette Coleman at Carnegie Hall.
• Receipt for Kay-brand semi-hollow body electric guitar purchased soon after Clinton’s impeachment proceedings for $500-something dollars. Not one complete song ever played on guitar. Receipt and guitar will look awesome in my new apartment’s walk-in closet.

What do you have in your desks?