I love old things. Antiques, classic novels, a good Audrey flick and the game of cribbage. There's just something sturdy and classy about these things that you can't find today without really digging. And while I certainly don't want to live in the past, and am absolutely thankful to live in an age where I can flush the toilet and use the internet, I think there are lessons to be learned from days gone by. Or sometimes just a pretty tea cup to enjoy. Looking back can not only teach you some wonderful life lessons, it can take you to places and introduce you to people that you've never known, but are somehow able to change you.
It's funny how I can feel homesick for a time I never lived or place I've never been. But I think that picking up an old photograph, digging through some vintage clothes, or just buckling down with some good old-fashioned ideals allows you to step back into a time where the here-and-now of every day was a bit more appreciated and when people knew how to write a good letter and bake a mean apple pie. From scratch. I like that time. So why not take the occasional step back to those lovely sepia-toned days and appreciate what the past has given us? It's high time I learned how to make something with my hands, be that lasagna or a dress, savor each moment in life as it comes and read a little more Anne of Green Gables.
I can't just wake up and become a pioneer forging my way to the unknown West, Jo March selling her hair and scribbling away in the attic or a woman entering the workforce during World War 2, but I can spice up my modern life with some of their classic ideals and practices.
I love watching old movies for just this reason. But sometimes I watch an old one and think, "Now I see why our grandparents found this scandalous." For instance, the "Thin Man" movies are funny, but you also notice that everybody drinks like a sponge!
ReplyDeleteI love how many references you made to "old" things. Reading this post made me remember how much I love Anne Shirley, Jo March, and a host of other childhood friends I had in books. I also liked how you acknowledged that you appreciate the luxuries of the present day as much as you find things of the past endearing. Now excuse me while I go fix a cup of tea. :)
ReplyDeleteP.S. This blog is so you. From the design, to the name, to your use of the phrase "sepia-toned days" ... I love it. :)
My favorite thing to do is listen to my grandma's old childhood stories of learning to bake and sew her own clothes, and I have expressed my desire many times to have lived back then. As much as I enjoy modern life, I am happy we still have these stories, books and even movies we can turn to to get a dose of those good old-fashioned ideals.
ReplyDeleteYour layout is so cute and appropriate for your blog topic! Anyways, this reminds me when I had to interview a 90 year old lady last year and we ended up talking for hours and I was completely fascinated by her stories of days gone by and the way things used to be. Things seem like they were much more simple then.
ReplyDeleteI adore Audrey Hepburn. I adore sepia-toned photographs. I can't bake a cake. lol 2/3 of the olden days I miss too! lol
ReplyDeleteI think one of my favorite memories was going through my great-grandma's attic when I was a little kid. Talk about a time capsule! I felt like an explorer with machete in hand, hacking through the next mountain of dust toward the next timeless treasure. I think that's the feeling we all get deep in our chest when we explore the past. Whether its a genealogical hunt or just looking through our grandparent's things, we all get this sense of discovery in us.
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