Titanic

Inspiration can be found in the strangest places. I was sitting here at the computer and at a complete loss as to what to blog about. Sometimes I write about my day, but mostly I like to write about obscure stuff that's on my mind. Hence the blog's name. Anyway....I was sitting here and I got very cold. (Side note: the low last night was 9 degrees. It's very cold. Tingly face cold when you are outside.) So, I thought I'd go over to the fireplace and stand in front of it like I always do. I use the fireplace as a roaster of types. I turn every so often so that all parts of my bottom half are equally burned. (Or is it burnt?) While I was standing there, my eyes were level with my mantle. On my mantle was a treasure I hadn't thought of in a long time. What's the treasure you ask? Simple. I have an authentic piece of coal from the Titanic's maiden voyage. Yes, you read that correctly.


How do I know that it's authentic? I have a certificate of authenticity. I found this website many years ago that sold Titanic artifacts and bought the piece of coal. It was sent to me sealed in a small bag and with an engraved display case. You might be wondering how I come to order a Titanic artifact.


Well, I don't want to show my age or anything, but I remember before the Titanic had been found at the bottom of the ocean. When the ship was referenced at that point in time, it was portrayed as being intact. When Robert Ballard and his crew located the wreck site, it became a big deal. With his robotic camera, we could see the Titanic up close. It looked nothing like I thought it would. After that point, I became very interested in the subject of Titanic and its sinking.


A couple years after I started teaching, I purchased a class set of books about the discovery of the Titanic wreck. The kids found it very interesting. So did I. My interest led me to surf the web and somehow I stumbled upon the site from which I acquired the coal. My husband teases me about my treasure. I don't think he really believes that it's authentic. I know it is. The engraving says so.


When the movie came out, I eagerly went to see it. I remember sitting in the theater in the middle section, in the middle of the row. Perfect seat. However, everyone else in the world was at the movie and I couldn't bring myself to disturb others, so I waited until the movie was over to use the restroom. I don't remember sitting in such a full theater before. I thought the movie was good and very much worth the wait.


You might think it's funny for me to have something like this sitting in on the mantle. I feel pretty confident that this is the sort of thing that many people have. You have some type of treasure that means a lot to you and it doesn't matter what anyone says about it. That's how I feel about my Titanic coal. What kind of treasure do you have around your house?