At some point in the life of a product, something goes wrong, can't be fixed easily or economically, and we begin to lose confidence, worry about the expense of repairs, worry about encountering problems when it is really inconvenient, such on the high seas, on a deserted road, when there is fragile cargo still to be delivered.
We worry and we decide how to deal with the worry, either by replacing the boat or car with a newer model, or by hiring a good mechanic/handy-man to repair or replace parts that will give us back our peace of mind.
Not everything can be replaced, repaired or discarded.
Some things are too precious to fuss with or to discard: an old watch our Dad left us, the old silver urn Mother gave us, the mink coat, too out of style.
Don't you ever worry that we too may be too old to be repaired, too out of style to be relevant, needing too much to be maintained and treasured?
28 comments:
My greatest fear is insignificance.
"Don't you ever worry that we too may be too old to be repaired, too out of style to be relevant..?"
I've been relevantly out of style for some time now. When I read the Men's Fashions section of the local paper, I am amazed/amused to find that I never wear anything like what they're wearing. In fact, I don't even know anybody who does.
I wonder this about the 50+ year old boat we live on, LOL!
Aloha, Friend
Comfort Spiral
You will never be insignificant, Rosaria!! Your intelligence will always make you someone to be sought out, even if your bones are rusty and your skin is crusty. My nanna was in her nineties when she died, and she was popular and loved and sharp.You are the same type.xx♥
I do worry about that, Rosaria, but I think that my friends and family would think that I'm being self-indulgent to worry about it! My 6 yr old grandson, when I told him recently that one day when he was older he would be too busy to spend Friday nights with me, said "mawmaw, I will never be too old to want to be with you". I'm going to remind him of that one day!
Don't worry about being irrelevant. I'm sure you're not.
How funny; the word verfication was "graying".
Wow. You express this sentiment so well. It was unexpected but kind of stunning.
only when i let myself be...
Absolutely. This comes to mind too often lately. I have seen this happen with aging people and it is nearly the worst thing I can imagine. For yor life, while living, to lose relevance and be a treasure, to those around you.
Great post.
You're just hitting your stride.
My kids have been telling me I'm already there for some time now!
Well, really, it's the natural end to the event of birth. Unless we die suddenly then we will become too old to be repaired, too out of style to be relevant. Perhaps not needing too much to be maintained and treasured. You reap what you sow in that regard.
Lest you think me cold, the body will deteriorate to the point that it cannot be fixed or should not because the result would be to prolong misery. And yes, we will get too old to be relevant. There will come a day when the world moves past us and we often let it do so and are happy to let it do so. But to be treasured in our frailty we must treasure in our robustness.
Defintely. The decisions for what to do about the body get more difficult each time.
My last will and testament states very clearly that should I happen to get to a state bevond repair to let me go without a fuss or extreme maintenance.
I've never seen a person to old to be relevant if they are in any degree of normal health. I try not to discount any one by their infirmities, their lack of current style, nor my perception of relevance. I'll be back tomorrow to learn. I fact I just noticed another of your blogs that caught my attention. See you there soon.
Maybe too old and broken to be repaired, at least back to almost like new, but hopefully never irrelevant.
Hi Rosaria
well I guess we have no choice in the first matter. We will wear out one day and better to wear out than conk out.
As for the other I wonder to whom?
Surely those that love us and care for us will find us relevAnt whatever that means and for the others why care?
As for being stylish...that is not a lasting value that I subscribe to.
It seems as if you are concerned that you have made a mark on life ... It's not worth worrying about...if we are kind and caring that's all we need to do...and it is obvious from your postings that you have been that to many people.
Happy days
s as
Well it happened to me - irrelevance- out-of-style perhaps... or not worthy to stay with...after 20 years...divorced.
It happens. Life seems to go on.
Great post.
Seeing as how I am going to outlive everyone on the planet, either the planet has a very short life span left it or I a very long one. Either way age is the least of my concerns.
{;-]}
CONSTANTLY! I think the young folk today would like to toss us all on the scrapheap!
Nuts in May
My Nan said to me, when she was in her eighties (she lived to 96!) - "don't ever take it for granted that you can leap out of bed in the morning and nothing hurts". That was a big wake-up call for me and since then I have been conscious of maintaining this "model", aware that repairs aren't always possible and you can't just shop for a replacement!
I don't mind being out of style, as long as I'm still treasured.
I have thought about this recently - funnily enough. And I have been thinking more and more about legacy.
I have a desire that is burning fiercer and fiercer to leave something behind ... something significant. Of course, I'm thinking big like a best selling classic novel ... but if that fails ... I'll plant a tree, or donate to charity.
Sounds profound: but we do get old, out of style ... sick. Ellen Abbott has a point - 'to be treasured' ... it is our responsibility.
I have several old clocks that don't work and I'm not all that concerned. One came from the courthouse where The Husbands great grandfather was a judge in Utah, and one is a 30's marble art deco clock my brother bought me, another was my mother's alarm clock when she was young. I like them, time is relative. I don't feel 54, but I am 54. Soon I'll be able to order of the senior menu. Sigh.
Nah... I don't worry too much about that. I feel I can be like my Grandma Kitty, and make a difference enough to one or two people even as I get older, that bringing them joy will be enough. I will give love and try to spread some smiles & happiness for the rest of my days.
ps... love the sailboat!
Great post - I think you hit upon a fear that's universal - one of being forgotten, insignificant, lost and unloved. Perhaps more so now that we live in a throw-away society where products have built-in obsolescence, employees are numbers to be reduced, and spouses are traded in, or traded up. I guess all we can do is be the best person we can, cherish ourselves and those around us, our world, and try to make each moment special by appreciating the wonder of a moment that will never come again.
Yes, I do. As I age and my gut grows and while in intent concentration I may once have had a certain beauty, I now often scare myself when I look up. I hope I don't scare my husband.
"Don't you ever worry that we too may be too old to be repaired, too out of style to be relevant, needing too much to be maintained and treasured?"
Not everything that is broken can be repaired. But even in its brokenness, it can be significant. When we lose our sense of connection to one another, we really are in trouble.
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