My forays to estate sales have reminded me of something– how little time we spend in reflection now because we’re too caught up in our phones and other devices. This probably has something also to do with my having reached a certain age where I’m more aware of the past than I used to be, or maybe because life really has changed that much.
There are two aspects of houses (where people have lived a long time) that remind me how these changes- needlepoints and garage organization.
In the past, men spent a whole more time in their garages– working on their cars, fixing lawn mowers (rather than buying new ones) or fixing a variety of other kitchen appliances (again, rather than buying new ones). They also rewound hoses just right and kept things organized using various leftover kitchen jars (Miracle Whip, baby food, and sometimes even orange juice concentrate containers). The radio might be playing a baseball or football game, but mostly this was all done with the sounds of other lawn mowers running in the background.
Step inside and you might find walls with filled with some sort of needlework or pillows accenting a couch with that same needlework. Bedroom closets might have more kits, some never opened, but with good intentions.
I used to do a lot of cross stitch especially while I watched television. There wasn’t a phone to scroll and seeing these unfinished kits (and buying them!) has made me realize how little time we spend in our thoughts. We’re too busy looking for what’s next on the phone or the internet rather than thinking about a variety of things. And while rumination can be a bad thing, there is a balance of reflection without letting it fester or get the best of us.
One of my goals, especially as the evenings cool and there is less outdoor time, is to scroll less (and I don’t scroll a whole lot as it is) and create more, finish more of these kits, and read more.
I never thought the internet or phone were a bad thing; more that we need to bring them into balance in our lives rather than letting them take over.