It all started out with changing a light bulb. One of those where you have to find the step stool and climb up in the dark because of course its the porch light thats out. So I brag to Fred, This lightbulb says it may last as long as 22 years, given average use. To which he responds, Well, maybe well be dead before this has to be done again. Which is, hm, true. Average life expectancy in the US is, what, about 85 years? Im 63. The lightbulb may outlive me. Its not just light bulbs either. When I ordered my pair of geese, I extracted a promise from my younger daughter that she would keep them if they outlived me. Domestic geese average about 22 years but have been known to live up to 80 years. Fred seems to take a perverse satisfaction in these things. A 30 year roof. Next time it needs roofing, it wont be my problem. We buy a good set of stainless steel cookware. Well, these are probably the last pots and pans well ever buy. The attitude is sort of contagious.We both take a great deal of satisfaction in the things weve bought that have lasted, well, over 40 years. Craftsman end wrenches that are still going strong. The sewing machine my mom left me. A wooden desk that journeyed with us from Kodiak. A Ruana knife thats gone through many a moose. A Woolrich jacket thats been my dirty work coat since I was 19. To say nothing of the books that belonged to my dad when he was a kid. Ive come to accept that TVs and computers and phones dont last more than a few years before they have to be replaced. Things that used to be built to last a decade, toasters, waffle irons, etc now perish in five years or less. While my moms cheese grater still grates cheese. Ive come to have a great deal of respect for the items that just keep on being useful. Lovely old antiques on a shelf are one thing. But the knife the still cuts, the wrench that still looks new, the grater that still grates, those are my workaday treasures. Whats the oldest item in your home that you still use day to day?
Posted on: Sat, 17 Jan 2015 05:34:00 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015