I have more dork moments throughout the week than I care to admit. The most recent is I scheduled a biscuit delivery the same day Lisa had a previous obligation. What it boiled down to is I forgot to transfer a Post-It reminder to my non-virtual calendar. And, I didn't hand-write a reminder to check my non-virtual calendar. Thankfully, the recipient was understanding. We shared common ground. Dork moments.
Although my career has somewhat forced me to dive into a plethora of modern technology, I still hang tight to old-school. My marketing career began years ago before Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, etc. In fact, I can remember taking gas surveys when I managed a convenience store. This involved traveling around the area, a mini voice-recorder in hand and voice-recording the gas prices of our competitors.
I also had a pager. Remember those?
Although modern technology is scattered throughout our home and we enjoy a few modern day conveniences, we also hang on tight to old school.
Is this a middle-age thing?
1. Not interested in keeping up with the Joneses. Ahhh...the infamous idiom making reference to "the comparison to one's neighbor as a benchmark for social class or the accumulation of material goods." This isn't something we adhere to and it's not necessary. The material goods in our home fit our needs and accommodate our day-to-day life. They, in no way, shape or form, are purchased or acquired as a means to compete or "keep up with..."
2. If it's not broken, don't fix or replace it. Why replace an appliance or electronic if the original isn't broken? Too many people are concerned with updating, replacing and "keeping up with the Joneses." That gets expensive. If the old coffee maker is working and brewing cup after cup after cup of caffeine laced goodness, why replace it? There's no need.
3. Click versus Tap. I seriously need to adapt to re-wording "click" as "tap" or "check it out" or "select" At one time, it was all about "clicking on a link." Now, not so much...although that's my preferred method. I am not a fan of touchscreen.
4. Handwritten never goes out of style. Not in this household. Lisa and I both still, and will continue to, embrace the art of handwriting letters, cards, thank you notes, etc. This involves some form of paper, pen, envelope, handwritten address and stamp. Archaic. I know!
5. Never in a million years. I'll be the first to admit, we take advantage of some modern-day-conveniences, but some, no. Never. Not in a million years. This would include super-high-tech amenities such as being able to control household locks with smart phones, smart watches, drone delivery, vehicles that can predict our every move, and voice activated devices. Oh, and food. Vegan cheese made from "hooman" DNA strands and Smucker's Uncrustable Sandwiches will never enter our home.
6. Common courtesy. Yes, we'll wait an extra minute at the door to hold it open for the person behind us. When I bake, there's always plenty for our neighbors. Please and thank you. Acknowledgement for kind deeds extended in our direction. Handwritten thank you notes. Saying hi to those to pass by while we're in our yard. Embracing kindness as a lifestyle rather than an "act."
7. Finding happiness in what we already have. Nothing irritates me more than hearing, "I wish I had..." Oh, I'll admit, I may have spewed those words once or twice however, it doesn't take long to regain perspective. Work with what you have in the here and now. Stop wishing for things you don't have. Live in the moment. There will always be something out there bigger and better. It's a waste of time to keep chasing that.
8. Store-bought versus homemade. It takes a minute or two to purchase a loaf of homemade bread or batch of cookies. However, the rewards of homemade is much greater. It's cheaper. You control the ingredients. Granted, it takes time and it seems, in this day and age, time available for this is becoming far and few between. There are too many nights where dinner is picked up at a Drive-Thru. After a long day, most of us are too tired. Or, there isn't enough time. Etc. We fell into this rut a few years ago, but have since taken a new path. I am grateful that I work at home and can make most everything homemade. The next in line...pasta!!
9. Cleanup Conveniences. Not too long ago, before we cut the cord, I remember seeing a commercial on TV for Clorox Pump 'N Clean Kitchen & Dish Cleaner. In a nutshell, you can take a paper towel or cloth, press it on the top of this contraption and it'll saturate your cleaning cloth of choice with cleaner. I sat there thinking, "HUH! Imagine that. For those who feel taking out a bottle of cleaner and fetching a cloth or paper towel is too time consuming." Back in the day, this shit didn't exist. Yet, households were clean and no one complained.
10. Re-purposed and upcycled. Fans of Pinterest (yes, we're on Pinterest too) know exactly what I'm talking about. The days of throwing away clothes and common household items are over. People are gravitating towards re-purposing these items. This concept has been around for decades. Our great-grandparents and grandparents saved everything and each had a purpose. Got an old T-Shirt? You can make a Dog Toy out of an Old T-Shirt. Or, how about an upcycled dog sweater? The possibilities are endless. Really.
11. Barter. Last year, at an event, we had the opportunity to meet two remarkable women who owned Collars & More. They wanted biscuits. Sophie was in need of a new collar. We bartered. Four bags of biscuits for a new collar. More recent, we've bartered for other goods. It's our way of supporting local artisans and exchanging locally made goods.
12. DIY. Over the past decade, DIY has blown through the roof. Whether it's DIY body scrubs, DIY pet beds and pillows or DIY dog treats, people are jumping on the DIY bandwagon. For those who have attempted their hand at anything DIY, the reasons vary. For us, going the route of DIY is cheaper, healthier, and more natural.
"They say I'm old-fashioned, and live in the past, but sometimes I think progress progresses too fast!"
-Dr. Seuss
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