A new friend I made at the SS fall retreat cited my antiquated smartphone as "vintage" while we were sharing a meal down in the dining room of the conference center.
Here at the office, I use a refurbished desktop PC which too could be deemed "vintage" by today's standards.
My oldest daughter was involved in a collision last week, and the insurance company has deemed the "vintage" compact she was driving home from school a total loss.
-------------------------
Religion and church definitely fall into the camp of "vintage" these days, but too, so much of the experience / outlook really is tied to the past. I say that because its value is rooted within a beginning point where it amassed relevancy to the (hopefully) Christ-follower. Therefore, maybe it truly is "vintage" literally by definition.
My iPhone 5 belonged to my father-in-law before he died. It was hardly used, and despite the fact that I had to ask my mother-in-law for it, it's still the one thing I have of his that was his own. Everything else is collecting dust at her house.
The refurbished desktop PC I'm typing on now was purchased from a former SS friend who's no longer communicating with me, and the 2012 Nissan Sentra was purchased via life insurance proceeds relative to my late grandmother's death.
-------------------------
My wife suffered a stroke back in May. She's at risk for having a second or third now that she's experienced the first. And the next one could kill her on the spot. And this could happen right now, at age 50, with three daughters under the age of 16. I've watched her closely over the past 7 years in particular, and her body has aged quickly. Yet, she's my wife, and therefore, I'm not about to give up on her and our marriage. There's so much good there. Considering the reality / outlook of our situation though, if Angie's life were cut short, it would be our daughters who would continue to represent all of that goodness for me.
-------------------------
I had lunch earlier this week with a friend whose childhood was a nightmare. Physical, sexual, and emotional neglect and abuse were commonplace for him growing up. He described how the majority of that portion of his life is blocked out within his memory. And obviously, this is for the best.
I'm thankful for my memories. Especially those tied to the physical.
I wear a rubber bracelet on my arm in honor of a close friend / brother, and have been doing so for well over a year. The one I'm wearing now is the third, for the first two snapped over time. After the second one failed, I asked my friend if he ever took his off his wrist. He stated that he did not. Therefore, I in turn began to do the same. And it took a number of weeks to get used to having it around my wrist 24/7, but then again, our friendship is just as consistent, and likewise, it took time for me to buy into this relational truth as well.
The hardest part about not taking it off is sleeping with it. For sometimes, it gets twisted as I'm sliding my hand underneath my pillow. Nonetheless, I'm happy to keep it around my wrist.
-------------------------
We as western consumers are heavily pressured to forget and move forward. Especially as it relates to convenience / self-preservation. This approach though, disregards our robust memory, which separates us from plants / animals.
One of the coolest supernatural / superhuman (fictional) abilities is clairvoyance. This being the ability to "read" emotional / historical relevance via one's physical touching of a significant object. Obviously, clairvoyance is the stuff of stories, but I do wonder sometimes if we should put more stock in what objects do actually embody as it relates to their impact, tangentially or otherwise, on our lives.
No comments:
Post a Comment