Hi Neighbor!

As I meander, dawdle, and navigate my way through the New Year, I am keenly aware of my comfort zone when it comes to my day-to-day nuances as well as areas I am not willing to change nor comfortable changing. We get stuck, not in a rut, but in habitual patterns and preferences. Our routine.

In a recent observation about my own routine, I discovered this:  I am old-fashioned. Not old, but just old-fashioned with a few of my personal habits. It is apparent that part of my daily routine involves trends that are no longer en vogue.

For instance, I like to walk into a bank to cash or deposit a check.

Frequently, I like to air wet laundry on a foldable drying rack.

I like to read a newspaper by holding it in my hands. Same with a book. A hard copy for me, please.

I like a printed version of just about everything including schedules, paid receipts, and my Christmas card mailing list.

I prefer a handwritten list for the grocery store, and I always have a running, hand written “to do” list on my desk.

I need to feel and see the hard copy. I enjoy the satisfaction of the literal pen crossing off an accomplished item from my list. And I relish in the smell and the feel of a printed book in my lap, carefully selected from the good, old-fashioned bookstore, as the glossy cover sits on my nightstand,

There is no replacement for routines that bring simple pleasure.

For me, writing a list or reading a newspaper is not any more cumbersome than accomplishing the same task on a smart phone. Each task still takes time and still has its own steps; think typing on a small keyboard or squinting at a tiny screen versus having the larger, more palpable paper and writing apparatus to physically hold. Same difference? 

In fact, I DO make lists on my phone so I can forward them to people to make sure we are on the same literal page, and yes, I do read news articles on my phone for convenience while waiting in the deli line to save time. Admittedly, the newer technology allows us to live in a futuristic stratosphere and makes for more streamlined functioning, but I would miss the tangible feel of pen and paper in my hands if I eliminated them completely.

Do not get me wrong. I am a forward thinker, too. I like to stay current in fashion, trends, pop-culture, and my children’s’ lives. I am in awe of my new smart phone that recognizes me by my face, not my fingerprint. And I am amazed at how quickly technology changes, adapts, and moves forward, much like the Jetsons foreshadowed in the cartoon of our childhood.

But I also do not have a problem with slowing things down a bit, taking these small tasks back to a simpler time when we seemed to have more time to accomplish them – and to write them down.

There is an argument here for both preferences – eliminate mass production of newspapers as it’s better for the environment BUT it also changes the economy by shutting down industries and stores that made a living on newspapers while putting people out of work. 

I realize my thought process and execution is a bit incongruous, as I am willing to take a little bit of this (the old) and a little bit of that (the new) to get through each day efficiently. Maybe it is the best of both worlds this old-fashioned gal wants and needs. Whatever gets you through the day, right?

What old-fashioned fetish do you still hold on to?

Curiously old-fashioned,

Jackie