The Things We Treasure
I've Moved 7 Times, but I've Never Left Behind These Chicken Chairs
Sometimes a chair is just a chair. But for columnist Eric Kim, it's a reminder of his brother, who helped carry him through the roughest patches in his life.
Photo by Eric Kim
On our new weekly podcast, two friends separated by the Atlantic take questions and compare notes on everything from charcuterie trends to scone etiquette.
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30 Comments
sharon
January 27, 2020
my husband raises fancy poultry breeds, i think your chairs artistry is very classy- let alone that they have great memories connected with them- glad you have moved with them many times. love your story-telling- enjoyed reading the story.
Anne B.
January 26, 2020
I love the chairs! Thirty years ago my mom and I were in an antique store in New Jersey and we came across a 18" platter celebrating the Donner Party. Being native Californians and having learned California history in 4th grade public schools, we knew about this wagon train from Illinois in 1846-47 that got stuck for months in a terrible snowstorm in the Sierra Nevadas. More than half of the 89 settlers died from freezing or starvation. Some cannibalism ensued, a human taboo of course, and a rather negative history took place. If you take the highway from Reno to San Francisco (Donner Pass) over the Sierras, you will have taken the Donner Party route. My mom and I started laughing hysterically looking at the printings on the platter and I just had to purchase the thing. I call it my "Donner Party party platter" and keep it on my family room coffee table. Please don't think I'm crazy, but Californians tend to make jokes about this sad tale and my friends can't understand how anyone could commemorate this event. I think the manufacturer made about 150 of these plates.
Claudia T.
February 2, 2020
This reminds me of an engraved silver water pitcher I saw in a museum that had been given to a local doctor and lauded him for his role in helping with the cholera outbreak. This was before they figured out cholera was spread by... Infected water!
Suellen
January 26, 2020
This is such a wonderful post filled with memories that have enriched your life. The chair is awesome and I enjoy your food writings.
Alex E.
January 24, 2020
This is what I would have wanted from this column if I had known what to ask for. Loved this! It captures such a brief but vivid moment in time. Excited to keep reading the rest of the series!
Talicia S.
January 21, 2020
I have the world's ugliest couch. It's upholstered in somewhere between olive drab and forest green velour, weighs approximately 537 lbs, and has real wood trim. At some point in my many moves, a leg got lost, and so it sits about 1 foot tall. It is the best napping couch on the planet. It is now in my office, but still exceptionally napworthy.
Eric K.
January 21, 2020
This made my day, Talicia. In my world, past and present, there has never been a greater priority than a good nap.
M
January 17, 2020
Love reading about people's personal style and meaning. I'd rather read a million odes or arguments for elements I wouldn't choose than style trend suggestions that I would choose. In a world trying to push for downsizing and minimalizing, it's nice to be reminded of the tactile power of certain objects.
Hate the fact that my brain is distracted by its wish to reach into the screen and pull off the scan code stickers those spines.
Hate the fact that my brain is distracted by its wish to reach into the screen and pull off the scan code stickers those spines.
M
January 20, 2020
Used books are the best. But lemme tell ya - Catch 22 is much better than Catch Label. ;)
Helen
January 17, 2020
Thank you for sharing your story. What a beautiful way to say thank you and I love you to your brother. I am a mom to two boys, and whenever they fight (which is quite often considering they are 6 and 3), I remind them that they don't have to be friends but they will always be brothers. Sibling relationships can be so deep and complex sometimes. I heard somewhere that it's because siblings are the ones with whom you go through life. For the most part, your parents leave you halfway through life, you meet your spouse later in life, and you can choose and lose friends, but siblings are there for the whole thing, beginning to end. If my boys can be the chicken chair to each other as they go through life, it would bring me immense joy and peace as their mother. Much love and respect to you and your hyung.
Eric K.
January 18, 2020
Helen, thanks for sharing. Your words are wise and I'm showing them now to my brother as we speak.
Shane L.
January 16, 2020
Great piece as always Eric ☺️ It resonates with my feelings since the new year. I’ve been in a cleaning and minimizing mode, which has brought up a lot of old memories, and helped me to focus on what’s important.
OX
-S
OX
-S
Eric K.
January 18, 2020
Going through old things makes me nostalgic, too. Great to hear from you, Shane.
Shane L.
January 18, 2020
Certain items, such as your chicken chairs, are imparted with powerful memories. These kinds of sentimental belongings, are something that I could never part with; refinish, reupholster... maybe.
Actually, last week, I put into use, my grandparent's old round kitchen table. Someone in the family cut it down to coffee table height ages ago, which limited its usefulness for me. That is, until I decided it must be enjoyed (there are a lot of good memories contained in that old table) and not stashed away in the basement. Now, I have it nestled atop a fun, round, koi pond rug in my kitchen, and with some floor cushions, it has become a cozy spot to take my dinner.
Actually, last week, I put into use, my grandparent's old round kitchen table. Someone in the family cut it down to coffee table height ages ago, which limited its usefulness for me. That is, until I decided it must be enjoyed (there are a lot of good memories contained in that old table) and not stashed away in the basement. Now, I have it nestled atop a fun, round, koi pond rug in my kitchen, and with some floor cushions, it has become a cozy spot to take my dinner.
Eric K.
January 19, 2020
I love that. There is no more important piece of furniture than the one at which you sit to dinner.
elm
January 16, 2020
I too have that chicken chair. My son and daughter-in-law bought it for me at the Habitat Re-store. 45 years ago I had a group of friends and we were known as the "the chicken ladies". Now and then I get gifted a chicken item. Brings back good memories.
Arati M.
January 16, 2020
"That second chair, now empty, meant that there was finally room in my life to let others in."
Thank you Eric, for this beautiful essay. The relationship between the objects we treasure and the narratives behind them is both undeniable and irreplaceable.
Thank you Eric, for this beautiful essay. The relationship between the objects we treasure and the narratives behind them is both undeniable and irreplaceable.
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