Living with the Past

In the last few months I have been bringing stuff down from the attic and out of hiding. I have had this stuff for years. Relics from the past. Old certificates and photographs. I have begun to display them and finding little niches to put them in. It has finally occurred to me that it does little good to have these items if they are not displayed and enjoyed. Like a spoiled child that doesn't share his toys. Most of these things are not large items and take up little space. Each item has a story that goes along with it. I don't get many visitors,never was much of a socialite, but I tell the grand children about them anyway.
I was thinking about when we were younger. We wanted the newest thing,the latest fad and fashion. Didn't really want or care about that old junk. Yeah,it was alright having some of Mom or Dads' stuff and a few things from your childhood but not sitting right out in the open. People will think you are some kind of geek or something. The new stuff,now that is cool. Best to keep that old stuff hidden away.
Over the years this gradually changes. We keep certain favorite things around. We become less willing to put the past away. It begins with the baby pictures. A treasured few will remain on display for years to come. Soon artwork and school papers are hung on the fridge. Certificates follow. Small gifts that we received and items made for us. These items begin to collect.
And then there is that period of time when you start to store things away again. Unwilling to dispose of these things they are relegated to the attic or basement. Packed away and forgotten. This is a dangerous time for these memories. Many will be lost or destroyed. The ,what was I thinking about, syndrome can hit and you start throwing things away. Piece of junk,you mumble,but later there are regrets. I can't save everything enters the picture. Decisions,decisions.
In our modern world I think we all have a tendency to move a lot more than in past generations. The days of the family home being passed from generation to generation is nearly gone. We got modern. We don't want the old house,we want a new one. Three or more generations living in the same home is a rare thing these days. Along with that a lot of things are lost. The old relics that I refer too. If you haven't seen the item before and no one is there to tell you about it, it might just be junk ! On the other hand it could be something Grandfather made when he was just six years old. A pretty cool piece of junk.
All of this is what I was thinking about when I started to bring my stuff down. Some I have acquired from my parents and some I acquired from just living my own life. Mostly I have decided to display those items from my parents and grandparents. To display more than a few of my own things would be a little boastful in my opinion. So far I am enjoying seeing these items about the house. I think it is adding a certain ambiance to my humble abode.
I do think that I need to do one more thing. I'm thinking I should somehow identify these objects and tell their stories. After all,after I'm gone no one else would know what the deal is. And something I've noticed is an old
object without a story is just something old. Provence the pro calls it. It is what makes it valuable. The value does not have to be in dollars and cents either.
Funny how when we are young all we want is new stuff. When we get old we want our old stuff back. But that was the new stuff, wasn't it ? I hate this new stuff !