In the 1980s we considered buying one of several available houses in a former resort community of pre-turn of the century homes. They were simple and hardly outfitted with modern electricity. There was one bare bulb hanging from the center of the room with a pull chain to turn it on and off; you could see the electrical conduit running over the plaster to reach it. No switches existed on the walls. You had a kitchen with space to eat, a parlor or living room, a couple bedrooms and a single bathroom. All were painted white or pale green, chipped and peeling underneath the newest coat.
The old home was not really neglected, just never remodeled as if it was content without outlets on every wall, appliances filling the kitchen and fancy fixtures in each room. It could provide light at night, a roof over your head and a place to cook and eat your food.
What an act of defiance to find the homes intact and present together, almost as if they had collaborated daring anyone to modernize, saying, “We have been here for almost a century and do not require changes to be viable; we need not take on the accessories of modernity to be worthy or useful.”
3 comments:
“We have been here for almost a century and do not require changes to be viable; we need not take on the accessories of modernity to be worthy or useful.”
This so beautifully stated and can be applied in
many situations.
Thank you for writing this. It gives one a new
perspective on "old"
I really love your musings here. they are so eloquently written and incredibly introspective. Right up my alley - go figure. They are also informative for someone with less knowledge of literature like myself. I really like that. I am always amazed at the care you take when examining the universe. You have such respect for the minute details that make each day new in life. Every day i work with high school students who understand respect and some measure of responsibility, but they do not appreciate many things other than those that offer them satisfaction or meet their needs. I have spent the better part of the last four and a half years looking at the big picture, cramming knowledge and applied practice, pedagogy and technique into my brain; being an intellectual. I think the trick is to not become jaded by or obsessed with our knowledge. In that time i have encountered many who seem to have forgotten about the little things that give us pause in our hectic lives. We must continue to walk the earth as a child full of wonder, captivated by a myriad of things others may not even be aware of. I think this is one thing that will always link us to one another. please share more soon and i will keep checking!
Kelly
I love your expression of new and old wants and needs colliding.
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