Andrew Huff / October 22, 2009 12:36 AM

Suggested by Robyn, who says, "I'm listening to the Replacements right now, and when I saw them live in '91 (the only time), I bought an amazing tour tshirt of theirs; a friend of my brother's borrowed it and I never saw it again, nor could I buy a (wait for it) a replacement. Of all the things I've ever lost, I'd love to have it back."

JP / October 22, 2009 12:50 AM

my employment status.

vise77 / October 22, 2009 8:28 AM

My idealism. It was never pure or without condition, but it sure wasn't stained with as much cynicism about humanity as it is now.

Spinner / October 22, 2009 9:11 AM

In high school, I had a cool vintage troll doll with pink eyes, pink hair, and a black leather jacket. Someone took whiteout and painted an anarchy "A" on the back. I carried it with me everywhere (yeah, I was weird), and friends keep naming it, so it started out as "TrollDude," but ended up "Mister Wonga-Tonga Mojo Morrissey Anarchy TrollDude." I left it in chemistry class and never found it, despite putting an item in the morning announcements. It's kind of my Rosebud--I miss the damned thing terribly.

Pete / October 22, 2009 9:15 AM

I suppose youth is too obvious of an answer.

LJ / October 22, 2009 9:24 AM

My career.

Mayor R. Daley / October 22, 2009 9:56 AM

Any semblance of credibility.

eee / October 22, 2009 10:02 AM

I have an uncommonly large head for a woman, which means it's very hard for me to find hats that fit. Years ago, I was shopping in Patti Smith's boutique in Michigan and I found a hat that fit perfectly. It was this amazing soft wool hat, similar to the Afghan Pakols, and it was the best hat EVER. One winter in college I lost the hat. I put up reward posters and everything, but to no avail. I've never found a better hat, and I still miss that one.

baldeesh / October 22, 2009 10:25 AM

I made a hat last winter. The pattern was my own. I liked it. It was super-warm.

I brought it with me to London last January. Figured out that a hat made for the bitterest part of Chicago's winter is waaaaaay too much for London's version of winter. As a result, I'd put it on for a bit, get to hot, then take it off.

The last time I did that was in London's King's Cross station. I really hope someone found the hat, and they're enjoying it.

Got to Edinburgh, located a yarn store, bought supplies, and made myself a new hat. 2 days later, while climbing Arthur's Seat, I lost THAT hat, too.

I admitted defeat and went and purchased a hat, and I still have it.

But I'd like to have both of those handmade hats back.

sd / October 22, 2009 11:17 AM

There had to be a time, probably when I was 16 or so, when I didn't have any credit card debt whatsoever. So, that.

Leelah / October 22, 2009 12:02 PM

eee - try Laura Hubka Millinery in Chicago. She does incredible custom work.

Leelah / October 22, 2009 12:04 PM

Also-- I would kill to have my WHAMamerica and the Born in the USA concert t-shirts.

Brubeck / October 22, 2009 12:15 PM

I would also like to regain my idealism, but I've accepted that a loss of optimism is the cost of wisdom.

Spook / October 22, 2009 12:15 PM

The number of the girl who gave me the novel Suttree on our second date.

She was into me but I was far more into my moron years.

Our second and last date was the day before my vaction, so I took her back to my place were I focused more on packing than on her. I was also offended because she "had the nerve to eat onions" at dinner. Yea, NOW I know how that sounds.

Any way not thinking much of her( at the time) I waited for her to call me and over time
lost her number.

She's probably married now
But I'd love to thank her for introducing me to Cormac McCarthy. I mean any one who is ever introduced to a writer that they love knows what I'm talking about.

Also, how cool is it to by some one a novel on the second date!

What was I thinking!

kate / October 22, 2009 12:47 PM

the love.

mary / October 22, 2009 12:53 PM

i wish i were as creative as i was when i was younger.

Y A J / October 22, 2009 3:14 PM

my ignorance, security and pride

crystal clear / October 22, 2009 3:36 PM

I too have lost a lot of cool hats.

The first thing that popped up into my mind was a very simple gold ring my mother bought for me for my birthday in pre-k or kindergarten, and I wore it every day. I was strangely generous with all my things, and gave away pencils and other things to my friends, but when my friend asked for that particular ring, I was adamant and said no. Even though I was young, I knew the value of the sentimental possession. I lost it somewhere in the Albany Park apartment I lived in at the time. Now they are condos. I wish I still had it, so I could at least wear it on a necklace.

Michele Seiler / October 22, 2009 4:59 PM

A ring I inherited from my great, great aunt. It was a costume jewelry ring that was silver with this funky green grass art deco inset. No value whatsoever but I wore it everyday after she died. I left it in a public bathroom after I removed it to wash my hands and by the time I realized where I'd left it, it was gone. Still devastated about it.

Monica / October 22, 2009 9:59 PM

My dad.

mike-ts / October 22, 2009 11:21 PM

Time, as in youth.

A / October 23, 2009 10:36 AM

When I was young my family took a lot of roadtip vacations and my parents bought us a patch at every location we visited. My mother sewed all of these patches on a zip-up hoody style sweatshirt. I left my jacket at a soccer game one weekend, and although we tried to find it, it was never seen again. At the time I felt minorly bummed about this (I was getting older and starting to find the jacket a little dorky), but as I got older and grew out of my self-absorbed jackass state I started to think about all the hours my mother spent lovingly sewing those patches to that jacket. Since then I've felt like a real jerk for being so careless with it. After I lost it she even spent weeks writing to the attractions we'd visited (this was before internet shopping), asking them to send her a new patch so she could make a replacement jacket. If I ever have kids I just don't know that I'll ever be as patient and forgiving as my mother was.

BG / October 23, 2009 10:55 AM

Two CDs that I loaned out: Donuts by J Dilla and Blunted with a Beat Junkie by DJ Shortkut

Cletus Warhol / October 23, 2009 12:16 PM

Since we seem to be going more for the material rather than the emotional/philosophical:

My home recorded VHS Tape of Dana Gould's first concert special; "Panic, Lust, and Confusion." I suspect it was stolen by a friend I had at the time and I've never been able to find another copy. Definitely one of the best comedy performances ever.

Also, I wish I'd never trashed the Brady Bunch trading cards I had as a little kid (during a cynical destructive fit of teenage pique), but mostly just because they'd be worth a buttload of cash today.

Finally, I really miss the Hot Wheels "Fat Track" setup I had as a lad. One of these days I'll check around to see how ridiculously large of a sum I'd have to part with to get back that little sliver of childhood glee.

crystal clear / October 24, 2009 4:16 PM

To A,
The way you wrote about the patches on your jacket, made me almost tear up - worthy of a Modern Love article. I get a sweet tightening in the chest when I read really good Modern Love articles, and that's the feeling I got when you wrote about yours.

Cletus - we aren't writing obviously about the emotional/philosophical, but those material possessions are missed because of the emotional attachment and sentiment that are so intricately tied to those material things...so I think the material in this case equates the emotional. Sorry for lacking the ability to be articulate and just spot-on with my words.

Cletus Warhol / October 24, 2009 6:58 PM

crystal- Making the distinction between the two was only an attempt to keep my post from getting too long (as in there are many emotional/philosophical things I've lost), not as a slam on those who listed material things.

And you're absolutely right about the relationship between prized meaningful possessions and our emotional/philosophical states. In fact, the more I think about it, the more those items I listed represent lost emotional eras of my past. Thanks for the nice insight (although it contradicts your statement on not being spot on with your words) ;-)