Take inspiration from , which centers on the juxtaposition between the traditional and modern state of China, especially Shanghai. What would it be like if everyone had to visibly drag some part of the past with them, in such enormous amounts? What would you drag with you? What would that part of your past look like? Would you proud or ashamed of it? Would you try to cover it up as you dragged it around?
Example:
Red Balloons
There is a man
who walks around
the city park
every weekend,
carrying a red
balloon. I’ve heard
people say that
he used to sell
balloons in the
park with his
wife, who always
used to wear
a large apron
that was bright red.
No one knows
what happened
exactly, but eventually
people started to
notice that the man
comes to the park by
himself now,
and sometimes
when he comes early,
the only sound
except for the chattering
of some sparrows
is the quiet squeak
of the red plastic as
he runs his hands over it.
-Constance