The Peace Corps is celebrating its 50th anniversary this week, and the program is donating items from returned volunteers to the National Museum of American History. With the exception of a congratulatory letter from President John F. Kennedy, who created the Peace Corps, the contents of the collection — brochures, posters, correspondence — sound rather dull. Here are a few objects I'd rather see included.

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— Trimmings from a Peace Corps beard.

— A volunteer's dreadlocks.

— Dog-eared copies of the following books: Life of Pi, The Kite Runner, The Alchemist, One Hundred Years of Solitude, Siddhartha, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, In the Time of Butterflies, The Beach, The Tin Drum, Name of the Rose, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, and Eat, Pray, Love.

— CDs by the following artists: Manu Chau. That is all — just Manu Chau, and preferably his entire discography. (But if you want a little diversity, feel free to add A Rush of Blood to the Head or anything by Jack Johnson.)

— A stuffed goat.

— As many skirts as you can find.

— A pair of Birkenstocks.

— A stack of unfilled Moleskin or Mead journals.

— Dr. Bronner's.

— A box of 1,000 condoms.

— A machete.

— At least one photo of someone flashing the victory peace sign.

— This exact photo. Accept no substitutes.