People in the business of retail are
telling us to rid our lives of items under the guise of the “Use it
or lose it” principle. Is there an ulterior motive here? With
clothing, we are told to discard, if not used within a year or two,
declare these self-proclaimed fashion trendsetters. It seems their clock is ticking. Ours might not be.
As a former girl, woman and now
grandmother to a 17-month-old, twenty-eighth month-old and newly
minted one-month old, this time worn declaration has had its day.
Items are 'saved' because their use is not immediate and might be
needed for a brand new generation. These past due items could very
well be irreplaceable, unique and too valuable to be tossed. Disposal
is forever. In the case of toys, their purpose will be revealed, in
the future, when the next generation comes calling. But one thing is
certain, products of the past are rarely available for sale in the
future.
Calling anything used or old devalues
it making disposal a reasonable result. If we change the terminology
and call these same items 'vintage' suddenly their value rises with a
hefty price tag to match. There is nothing to compare when vintage
clothing comes calling. Watch your language!
The other day, as I retrieved the
'saved' wooden blocks of an earlier generation, I was taken to a time, etched in my
memory, of those days spent building 'cities', 'parks' 'bridges' and jungles'.
(The word fulcrum might have been used in the 'balance' equation.) ... The occupants of these 'places' are now adults but those moments of the past will
never be forgotten. (The young developing mind is an exciting thing
to 'watch'.) Will my living room now become a research station for
my grandchildren when these little minds come to visit? I must act.
Cherished old pine blocks had been re-discovered. Their 36-year-old
shapes and sizes were now waiting for this newest generation of
children to imagine. Visions of real or imaginary futures would come
alive. A three-tiered trolley, in pristine condition, had housed
these building blocks of old. Out of sight but never out of mind.
I have beautiful dresses bought years
before their 'premiere'. (Hollywood might beckon or Independent Film,
too. One never knows!) Should these 'costumes' be thrown out? Never! I do not wear long dresses, evening wear or heels when
caring for or caressing a sick cat, walking and exercising my large
lovable dogs or their cousins. A different kind of 'uniform'
is worn then. Fashion details of the '40's may return with a 'twist'.
But having the 'originals', hanging in my closet, is my business, not
theirs.
My building blocks were new, once
upon a time, but now are termed vintage with modern stories to tell.
Architecture and engineering technology are in play, relevant now,
as they were then, with my future 'players', my grandchildren. Books, those time worn inventions of the past, are
here, too, competing with digital tech in our modern world. Hands were
always made to hold, mold, twist, turn, examine, create and caress - these tools for discovery learning. A hand-held gadget cannot compete in the
'physical' world of children. “Go to the couch. Read” says my
toddler grandson.
Things in dismal shape, no longer
wanted or needed, should always be subject to
discretionary 'disposal'. Storage and closet space are premium
commodities, after all. But once discarded, gone forever. So as I go
about washing the wooden blocks and toys of yesteryear, I relive the
magical moments when my own little boys told exciting stories,
remodelled in their young minds, of events only they knew or
understood. I was simply in awe.
The use it, lose it or keep it policy is ours to
make. Let us not be fooled. We understand the implication. Ignore those
invisible and unreliable trendsetters who think they know better than
we do. 'Cause they don't!
