Last Call: Tell Us About Your Mugs

There are certain veins of American culture that pulse with life even when we don't see or feel or think about them. Hiding in plain sight, they cross over to our consciousness only when we're prompted to think about them. Twitter is one reliable source of prompts that get us thinking about these unsung states of being. "How many towels do you own?" "Do you wash your legs in the shower?" "What's the order of operations for wetting a toothbrush?" But let's take this type of pondering out of the bathroom and into the kitchen, where I am much more comfortable, and I presume you all are, too.

What's your favorite mug?

Seemingly everyone has a mug that brings them joy, or nostalgia. They're keepsakes, mementos, heirlooms, treasured gifts, novelty items—mugs are the perfect little way we've found to express ourselves, but one that can just as easily be tucked away in a cabinet when anyone else is around, a little secret between us and those we hold dear.

Even the most aggressively practical among us has at least one delightfully impractical mug. Unstandardized in size, they form a chaotic mass inside our cabinets, and we all probably have more mugs than we need. These form the perfect conditions for picking a favorite from the pack.

So, what's yours? And is there a story there?