What Everyday Object Deserves More Love?

The clouds above us. The sidewalks below us. The stop signs on nearly every corner that quietly prevent countless traffic accidents. The many forks and knives that help us eat our daily meals.

What objects all around us — man-made or in nature — do you think we take for granted and deserve more attention and appreciation?

How about sticks?

Yes, sticks — long or short, knobby or smooth. Do these ubiquitous fallen bits of branches merit more love? In “Sticks. And the People Who Love Them,” Steven Kurutz writes about a newly popular Instagram account devoted to — you guessed it — sticks:

Stick Nation was born last summer, during a hiking trip to Arches National Park in Utah.

Boone Hogg, Logan Jugler and some friends were cracking jokes as they trekked toward Delicate Arch. From their free-associative silliness came the notion of reviewing a stick as you might a sculpture or valuable antique.

Later, Mr. Hogg, 30, took out his phone and shot some video of Mr. Jugler, also 30, as he mused on the qualities of a stick he had picked up from the ground. It seemed to be more interesting than the sticks nearby — it had the approximate shape of a handgun, for one thing — and Mr. Jugler found that, to his surprise, he had plenty to say about it.

“It was really weathered and worn, and felt great in the hand,” Mr. Jugler recalled. “There was a nice trigger spot for your finger. I think I gave it a 7 out of 10.”

In any other era, the idea of weighing in on the aesthetic qualities of sticks might have been left behind in the wilderness like stray bits of gorp. Instead, Mr. Hogg and Mr. Jugler created Official Stick Reviews on Instagram.

The account, which bills itself as “the internet’s go-to for stick reviews,” quickly attracted 40,000 followers, many of whom offer commentary on the sticks under discussion. They also submit photos or videos of the specimens they have come across for possible review.

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