David Mas Masumoto has a really nice column today about things worth hanging on to.
We are entering a new economy of the old: We keep things longer because they have new value. In some cases, we can't afford the new and have no choice. In other situations, we now are forced to extend the usefulness of everyday things and expand their life expectancy.
This is good -- the act of renewing and recycling the old, overcoming a throw-away mentality and instead fixing things. I hope we redefine the old and find new uses as we keep things longer.And I hope this also extends to old people -- perhaps there's new hope for those of us aging as we enter a different world today where many are choosing to keep things old. As I age this becomes more important! Old is the new new.
I totally agree with him, that we live in a throw-away society. And it doesn't just apply to the things we own. It isn't just that people don't want to fix things; too often they don't want to work at relationships either or try hard enough at overcoming obstacles in a job.
Important things are worth working for, fixing, mending, repairing. If that is a lesson we can re-learn through this time of economic hardship, then it will indeed be a silver lining.
Sabi explained in our disposable print media, interesting concept.
Bless his heart, this is old-school and very timely.
While we all like to have new stuff I find it hard to replace something thats not broken hence the old saying don't fix whar ain't broke.