Covalence coins by Mike LaHood

I received a re-giftable token of appreciation from Hoodie (Michael LaHood) – a heftily weighted nickel-plated token that feels like gold in your hand when you receive it.

Each time you cross paths with someone, you have the opportunity for connection. Living in the city can make you skeptical of those encounters, can make you defensive of your surroundings, and can make you question your neighbor.

Gratitude moves you closer to personal connection.The token that I received was in my possession for quite a while. Why? Was it because it was such a lovely object (in design and content) that I just wanted to “own” it for a while? Was I giving the “object” more weight than its social purpose of being re-gifted? Was it the tick/tock of contemplation in deciding who to pass it to?

Anyway… the token made me take time to consider the people who I am grateful for, made me wish for a handful of them to distribute. It was such a simple gesture, such a humble gesture, and such a human gesture. Thanks, Hoodie!

I passed it on.

Re-giftable tokens of appreciation by Mike LaHood

Hoodie is an Interdisciplinary Arts & Media MFA candidate, and the tokens are a part of his Thesis Project : Covalence. He describes Covalence as: “an examination of the social organism, the connection of actions that bring us together…” and says that his “goal in casting light on the spaces between people is to enhance the innate connections that we already possess…”

To learn more about this project, and to read stories he’s collected around the interactions with others who have given and received the tokens, visit his website.