When Steve was eleven he spent a Christmas somewhere warm and found this shell in 7 feet of clear seawater. He dived several times (to check it was not occupied!) and made a real adventure of collecting it. It represents personal rather can commercial treasure, the passion of a solo pursuit and the glory of simple pleasures.

This is the pen that Steve usually writes with. It's not superstition, it's just a nice pen. And he's had it for years. And it's usually to hand. Anyway.
It represents the facility to express experiences both real and imagined through art, writing or music. To be a conduit for ideas developing and being realised. To seek (through ideas) an understanding of this human version of self. To follow the story with interest.

It's always useful to remember how tiny and large everything is and how time scoots along at a fair old pace. Useful to have a helicopter view on things, avoiding being too up-periscope and getting on ones hind legs about stuff.

And that it's none of our business what anybody else chooses to think of us. What do they know, anyway? Provoking disapproval is often a good feeling in an unattractive wrapper.