Chapter XV of 'Tremendous Trifles' finds Chesterton in a railway carriage with nothing to do. He does not have a scrap of paper with him, there is no view due to rain, and there are not even advertisements on the walls of the railway carriage. Since he denies 'most energetically that anything is, or can be, uninteresting', he starts by contemplating the wood of the walls and seats, remembering Jesus was a carpenter. Then he remembers he could examine the unknown content of his own pockets.
The first item are tram tickets, suggesting 'that municipal patriotism which is now, perhaps, the greatest hope of England'. Furthermore, these tickets carry on them advertisements for a certain pill, which could be further analyzed. The second item is a pocket knife, suggesting battle. Then he finds matches, suggesting fire, chalk, suggesting art, a coin, suggesting government, etc.
When I will find myself without anything to do, and without any Chesterton to read, I may try this mental experiment for myself.
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