I'm Luke Trayser, and this is my stuff
Ivor Andrew’s Stuff Series explains who we are and what makes us go. Today, Luke Trayser, senior copywriter, talks about 11 of his favorite things.
1. Travel Journal: My wife and I went to Italy for our honeymoon. We spent a bulk of the time in Florence, and just about all of it was without an itinerary. Each morning, we picked a different direction and started walking, and we eventually stumbled into grand palaces, bustling shops, incredible food, and Michelangelo's David. We also journaled a ton, and it's fun to revisit the things we did.
2. Mini Basketball: This is my son's (he's 2 years old as of this writing), and he loves to fire this thing all over the house. Basketball is also really meaningful to me. I played it throughout high school, and to this day the basketball court is one of the most peaceful and gratifying places I know.
3. Wedding Ring: We got married in Mexico at a great resort. On the first morning of our married lives, we went to the pool and this ring promptly slipped off my finger. When I realized it, my wife was understandably beside herself. Other guests quickly helped out, and we soon found the ring on the pool floor. Marriage saved.
4. Bible: This book is the reason I am who I am. I am wildly thankful for it.
5. PS4 Controller: This little guy has kept my friends and me together through distance, babies and the general chaos of adult life. Stu, videographer at Ivor Andrew, is a gamer as well. We play all sorts of stuff on our own, but the things we play together are Rocket League, Overwatch, Battlefield 1 and Titanfall 2. Rocket League is pure joy. You gotta watch the trailer.
6. Guitar Pick: Back in high school, a girl I really liked dumped me. I remembered her saying she liked guitar players, so I vowed to learn the guitar and win her back. Brilliant. A few years later, I was a decent guitar player. It showed my future wife that I was a little more than just an idiot college kid.
7. Current Favorite Photo: Here are my wife, son and pooch in front of the fireplace before Christmas. Her baby bump was just starting to show at this point, so I took this photo and we shared with our friends that our second child is due in June 2017. HOORAY FOR BABIES.
8. Capo: Pin this thing on different frets of a guitar to raise or lower the pitch. Some great tunes require it, including Soulshine, Fire and Rain, and of course, Wonderwall.
9. Catch-22: There are books I've tried multiple times to read, but for whatever reason, I just can't do it. This was one of them. Then, on my 5th or 6th try, it clicked. And I've never read anything that jumps between hilarious and heartbreaking and back again like Catch-22. Highest of recommendations.
10. Singin' in the Rain: A while back, I asked my Ivor Andrew colleagues what their movie collection would look like if they could only own one film from each decade. This was my choice for the 1960s. It still holds up, from the laughs to the incredible numbers. Best Hollywood musical ever made. Gene Kelly was out of this world.
11. 100 Years of Solitude: My favorite novel, and it's only because I was forced to read it in high school. My teacher (WHAT UP, MR. WELLER) adored this magical book, and his enthusiasm was contagious. There is absolutely no way I would have read it and understood it on my own, but thanks to his guidance, it's forever on my shelf. I re-read favorite passages constantly.
