Category Archives: Blog

The latest thoughts of the museum junkie

Seeking Community

Art, Blog, social commentary
Family Outing

Millennials and Gen Zs are more interested in experiences than possessions. The great outdoors beckons them with freedom, health and companionship. 

acrylic on deep canvas /20” x 16” /   $ 399.

F

Seeking Community in a Time of Change

In past blogs, we explored social change and the pressure it puts on people to adapt. We looked at why young adults marry later and birth fewer children. And, at the other end of the age spectrum, we saw what happens to elders when family and friends move out of town or die, leaving them without support. Lastly, we examined technologically savvy teens who replace face-to-face interactions with social media. Adapting to change is difficult, leaving people feeling isolated and frightened. I listen to many of them during counseling sessions and feel their pain. Yet, despite all I hear, I have great hope for the future. The young adults I meet are loving, compassionate, active and community minded.

The need to adapt to change can be troublesome, for it sneaks up to surprise us. To transition from old ways of thinking, a person has to accept that there’s a need to do so. For instance, the need people have for community is the same as it was in previous generations, but the way younger people go about it today, differs greatly. Since lives no longer center around families who reside in stable neighborhoods, ways to communicate on the computer were invented to help us find meaningful relationships.

The flight from small towns and farms to cities initiated change in the way we live. Seeking better employment and more exciting places to roost required newcomers to be aggressive and outgoing when searching for companionship. Finding others with shared interests and values is time consuming. It can take years before acquaintances turn into deep friendships.

Adapting to social change requires forethought, patience and a willingness to practice new ways of interacting. The front porch rocker is no longer the place to go for a chat. It’s been replaced by sitting isolated for hours before a computer. At the same time, the computer is like a friend, for it is now the usual way to be introduced to those with share interests. 

The World Wide Web opens doors to companionship. Walking through the door, however, takes a certain amount of courage. At some point it’s necessary to get off your chair and step outdoors. Following are a few paths people take to find community. Some are firmly embedded in the new reality, while others are becoming more so. 

1) Used by millions of people, Computer dating services quickly became the norm. Websites like eharmony, Silver Singles, Match.com, and Zoosk sieve members through algorithms that match personal attributes. Those seeking love and companionship no longer wait for introductions from friends, family or matchmakers. As with many internet based services, however, caution has to be taken, for it’s possible to be victimized by scoundrels.

2) Meetups offer adults ways to connect through interest groups. There are gatherings for hiking, dog-lovers, photographers, artists, writers, readers and singers. Those who crave physical challenges band together for volleyball, camping and hiking. There are groups watch ingJapanese Movies, holding Forgiveness Discussions, coping with disability, and even participating in Oil Education sessions. A great many gatherings form around eating, drinking, talking and laughing. 

Some of these associations lead to close relationships, but not all. It’s fairly common to attend weekly sessions without befriending the person sitting next to you. Friendships require effort and the participant has to take the next step. It involves a willingness to do meet for coffee or engage in activities with new acquaintances. Close relationships require trust and being open to discussing hopes, dreams and fears. 

3) Maker groups come in many flavors, bringing people who like to create together in interest specific groups. Gatherings run the gamut from Digital Fabrication, 3D printing, Tinkering, Data Science to Movie Making. There’s a group called Coffee, Art, and Music and one named Sewing, Craft, DIY. There’s a Wine & Wineries Socializing Group, Hardware Startups, a Healthy-Tech-Think-Tank and even a Rainbow Duct Tape group. Some makers get involved in music festival projects while others form around making Pizza. Think it and you can probably find it as a subset of Meetup.

4) Co-housing: Throughout history, people lived in villages and small co-dependent communities. Not impeded by doors and fences, they helped neighbors needing food and childcare. They joined hunting parties, farmed and prayed. Today, few of us have neighbors who will come running when we need help. According to the 2010 Census Bureau, the average number of people living next door to you is three. They reside in self-sufficient units and take pride in being independent. Yet, private accommodations drain money and time and they don’t contribute to building community.

Today’s young adults are choosing to live communally in dwellings that combat loneliness and isolation. Co-housing is a distinct, yet American, way to reside, for it brings together strangers who value individualism and privacy, yet desire community. Co-housing combines private space with common areas to share meals, gardens, physical workouts, tools, and craft activities. Co-housing is not the same as the hippie communes of the 1960s where finances, cooking, social activities and ownership was shared by all, though it does offer ways to increase social interaction. 

Co-housing, began in Denmark in the 1960s and was introduced to the U. S. in the 1990s. They vary in design and size with some being restricted by age while others are intergenerational. How often residents dine together and the extent of their shared facilities varies. Larger developments often employ a community manager to organize events, volunteer activities, and dinners. 

Last summer I visited an eco-village composed of twelve houses with footprints limited to 1,200 sq. ft. Each structure was an experiment in energy efficient construction. One had solar heating panels while another used a heat pump. My friend built her house with thick walls that she and volunteer college students insulated with a slurry composed of mud and grass. Property owners share workshops, gardens and communal dining facilities. The compound’s layout makes it easy for people to interact. 

Another co-housing development I toured consisted of twenty-four condominiums. Each was constructed with kitchen windows facing the compound’s playground. The founders wanted residents to feel like they belonged to a loving extended family. Seniors are encouraged to share their time and wisdom with children living in their community. Neighbors help each other with everything from home maintenance to childcare, cooking and shopping. All residents buy into the development’s land and participate in maintaining its property. 

Home ownership is not a requirement for co-housing to be successful. Apartment buildings are being similarly built around shared amenities to encourage relationships that keep loneliness at bay. I’m impressed by Roam, a fairly new global community of co-living and co-working spaces where dwellers sign a single lease and live in sites worldwide for a week or a lifetime. Since so many people work from home, roaming the world and taking advantage of global housing while earning a living is enticing.

5) Shared living and work spaces are growing trends among Millennials, Gen-Zs and even some Baby Boomers. Unrelated  adults join to purchase homes or rent rooms in houses where expenses and upkeep are shared. Living with housemates is more affordable and less lonely than being alone, and it allows money to be saved and used for travel. Sharing is part of the minimalist movement sweeping the country. Status is gained by having few posessions, getting by as a one-car or zero-car family and using services like Uber, Lyft, Smart Cars or CarGo. 

Businesses are adapting to societal changes by incorporating ways to promote community into their planning. For example, Capital One Cafes turned traditional banking into a place where customers (and non-customers) can get coffee, work, chat with friends and receive help with banking needs. Rather than provide services, many businesses are using data to facilitate transactions for people when and where they want them. Bicycle and scooter rentals, Airbnb, apartment/home lending, WeWork, talent-sharing are a but few. Tools are borrowed through sharing resources like “Neighborgoods” and tool lending libraries, and fashionable clothing can be rented through stores serving black tie events.

Notions of what constitutes success is being redefined. Rather than measuring the size of their house or bank account, younger generations see success as purposeful work and meaningful relationships. According to Blake Morgan Self-sufficient Americans live in homes and apartments behind closed doors. of Forbes magazine, “Companies (like Capital One) that can transfer to become more experience-focused are the ones that will succeed in the changing world.”

I agree with her assessment but go a step further. The time is ripe for redefining our relationship to the land, not just to people. The “relational worldview” model, seeking harmony among competing factors may offer insight in how to do this-but that’s another story.

References:

Morgan, B . ( 2019) NOwnership, No Problem: An updated Look at Why Millennieals Value Experiences Over Owning Things. Forbes. retrieved from    

https://www.forbes.com/sites/blakemorgan/2019/01/02/nownership-no-problem-an-updated-look-at-why-millennials-value-experiences-over-owning-things/#7da0e97d522f

Mairs, J. (2016) Millennials want experiences not possessions, say co-living entrepreneurs. deZeen. retrieved from https://www.dezeen.com/2016/04/05/co-living-shared-collective-accommodation-housing-millennials-trend-common-wework/

Goodhart,S. (2018) Shared housing— millennial or Baby Boomer trend?  The Washington Blade retrieved from https://www.washingtonblade.com/2018/11/30/shared-housing-millennial-trend/

Roam, An international network of co-living spaces. Retrieved from website at www.roam.com.

Marr,B.(2016) The Sharing Economy- What IT Is, Examples, and How Big Data, Platforms and Algorithms Fuel IT. Forbes. retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2016/10/21/the-sharing-economy-what-it-is-examples-and-how-big-data-platforms-and-algorithms-fuel/#6e8b58037c5a

Dance to Life

Art, Blog, social commentary, ,

             

                                                                                 The Studio                                                                                                                                               Acrylic on canvas/ $ 399 / framed                                                               “It’s not enough to have lived. We should be determined to live for something.” ―Winston S. Churchill

Dance to Life

When four-years-old, Mother took me to my first dance class. She enrolled me young because I tripped over my feet when walking. She thought my clumsiness would be helped by engaging in an activity that stresses balance. Mom never realized that those classes would teach me a great deal more than dance.  Though I still have a difficult time balancing, dance lessons guided me through the years.

As a mother of five with a full time job, I was, as the saying goes, “up to my ears in alligators.” I dealt with one challenge after another at work and at home. My daily diet was responding to situations like, “So-and-so hit me. What’s for dinner?” to “Earnings are down. Should we lay people off?”  Following is how dance guided me.

BALANCE: To manage a demanding schedule stress-free, I had to make sure that work and playtime were balanced. This was not always easy to accomplish, for I often wanted to bury myself in what I work or artistic endeavors.  Instead, I carved out time to spend with for friends and family, to take flute lessons, and to vacation with and without children. I retreated to a quiet place to meditate daily and get away from noise and chaos. Today, my situation is reversed, for in retirement, I’m able to vacation year-round if I want to. But that is boring so I’ve added a bit of chaos by volunteering, painting and writing.

GRACE:  Dancers learn to move with grace, a skill that guides daily interactions. The way I connect with others is important for developing friendships, creating business collaborations and insuring loving relationships. Graceful people understand the struggles between good and evil, yes and no, kindness and hostility and ignorance and knowledge.  They use their knowledge to waltz, tango and spin through illnesses, conflicts, anger and loss. Moving gracefully requires a calm, firm center that can glide delicately through the mist.

FLEXIBILITY: Body and mind become expansive when limber and stretchable. Flexibility is required when facing challenges that can’t be overcome by ordinary means. Its opposite, rigidity can turn you into an uncompromising has-been who may as well be dead. Flexibility allows for adaptation to change upon change. One truth I value knowing is that society and individuals are in constant states of transformation.

“The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.”  ― Alan Wilson Watts

PRACTICE:  “Try again until you get it right,” was a mantra drilled into me as a child. Without developing the gifts we are born with, our talents may as well not be there. Once you discover what they are, they have the potential of providing great joy. It takes effort to overcome inertia and requires energy to train. Dancers prepare by practicing for hours each day—as do doctors, artists, basketball players, teachers, plumbers and many more. Perfected skills enable them to perform their craft with competency, ease and grace.

CONCENTRATION: Staying focused, being mindful and remaining centered reduces stress. Dancers whose minds wander while executing a leap or turn may get hurt. Those who can’t memorize their routines are unable to perform. When fully engaged in what you are doing, there is little room for worry. When in control of your mind, you are able to turn off unwanted thoughts and fears. Learning to concentrate in the moment, is an acquired skill that enables relaxation when walking through storms.

PERSEVERANCE:  Muscles and toes ache from hours of practice. Not giving up and remaining committed are difficult when in pain. When a ballerina falls, she is taught to get up and finish the performance. Similarly, mishaps occur throughout life, yet we must continue on. Failure becomes a teaching moment when it is accepted as a lesson in how to improve and not make the same mistake twice.  Perseverance requires overcoming embarrassment, remembering the goal and acknowledging small steps taken in the right direction.

STRENGTH: Moving effortlessly requires strength and stamina. Dancers learn to be aware of the weak parts of their bodies and to work diligently to make them stronger. Strength does not happen overnight. Recognizing faults is the first step towards growth. The second involves hours of hard work to overcome them. With strength comes the ability and courage to make clear headed decisions even in the face of opposition.

RISK: Dancers accept that there is a certain amount of risk in their art. Though not as bad as football, where players are prone to getting concussions, ballerinas get bloody, misshapen toes, and suffer from sprains, broken bones and back injuries that may last a lifetime. But, life is uncertain and, at times, dangerous. Walking across a street, riding a bicycle, putting money in the stock market, purchasing a house, starting a new business, getting married, accepting a challenging job, though risky, are also full of possibility.  Risk needs to be analyze, understood, and consciously accepted. Dance thought me not to be foolish and leave life to chance.

When balance, flexibility, concentration, gracefulness and strength come together,  dancers say they are “in the flow” or “in the zone.” It’s a moment of full engagement directed towards purpose and provides feelings of unabashed joy and wellbeing. Flow is motivating for it awakens a desire to achieve the next level of excellence. Once a person experiences what it is like to be ”in the zone,” a craving develops to be there again.

Several times during over the course of my life, I was fortunate enough to experience “flow.” In my twenties and thirties, when my body was young and under my control, strength, flexibility, concentration, grace and balance allowed me to dance with rapture. Another time was when I was exiting a supermarket with four children bouncing around my cart. For some reason, when I looked at them that day, an overwhelming feeling of contentment enveloped me. I was a supermom assure of my purpose at the moment. More recently, the feeling of being in the zone occurs when painting or writing.  There are times I become so engrossed in what I am doing that the outside world fades away. Being at one with my art is like being struck with lightning. I am lit and alive with aspiration, peacefulness and contentment.

Studying dance has taught me how to live. Yet, there is much more to know and I remain a willing student.

“The heart of human excellence often begins to beat when you discover a pursuit that absorbs you, frees you, challenges you, or gives you a sense of meaning, joy, or passion.” ―Terry Orlick

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A Way Out of Madness

Art, Blog, For Parents, social commentary,

         Solar Systems

We live in the same universe and share the same planet. Can’t we live on it in peace?

Acrylic on Canvas/ 16” x 20”/ $ 299

A Way Out of Madness

People are concerned about how our country is going to heel the current political divide before it leads to a full fledged civil war. If you don’t think  that scenario is possible they say, look at Syria. It used to be a vibrant country of 22 million that was considered a political and military heavyweight in the region. It’s rich history is both complex and diverse. Before the war, it boasted bustling marketplaces in Damascus and Aleppo with an innovative IT industry despite economic sanctions imposed by the west. It was known for having a sophisticated literary tradition, film industry, supermarkets and modern shopping centers to go along with the old. Friends and family gathering around tables for celebrations welcomed all who knocked on their door. It was a melting pot of religion and ethnicities, allowing for mixed marriages between Christians and Muslims. Syria was a cradle of civilization in the Middle East. Are we headed in this direction? Is this image from Syria a possibility for us?

A friend told me how upset she was because her conservative brother-in-law made demeaning and nasty comments on Facebook about her  liberal leaning brother. She said she now understands how families, split over political beliefs, were devastated by the Civil War. Looking back, hopefully, most people can see that war is not the way forward.

Wars benefits ammunition dealers, financiers and this hungry for power. They rarely help citizens who are instead used as fodder. They kill thousands of ordinary people, destroy homes, and leave families and friends destitute and bitter. As with our own Civil War, some people never heal and put the conflict behind them. PTSD and long lasting grudges spill into future generations.  Is war the training we want to give our children?

Who will stop the madness taking over America? It has to be tackled on many fronts but I look to our children. They view the world differently than their elders, are more accepting of differences and better educated in environmental issues. However, the quality of their schooling is not evenly distributed. Our job as adults is to change that trajectory and insure that everyone receives a comprehensive education. Perhaps they will them be able to help us stop this madness.

Let’s start with bullying, a problem that can make a young person afraid to attend classes. Programs to eliminate bullying are now part of curriculums nationwide.They begin in the elementary years and continue through twelfth grade. My hope is that graduates will not stand for the type of name calling and bulling that now invades the highest levels of government.

I was taught that  “sticks and stones will break my bones but names will never harm me.” Unfortunately, that’s not true. Labeling people horseface, Pocahantus, bimbo, dumb as a rock, sophomoric, beggar, clown , sleepy-eyes and dumpy-political-pundit is not only hurtful and ugly but is childish. Most parents don’t support this type of rhetoric at home or in their schools.  Upset parents are the reason schools now emphasize compassionate communication and bully free zones.  With this type of early training, I anticipate  our children will lead in more civilized ways.

The study of history provides ways to learn from the past, but only if it is presented in honest, complete and unbiased ways. Reading textbooks that are slanted towards the white race at the expense of other groups will not heel our country’s divide. Subjects need to be included that are often glossed over such as the Indian Wars of the late 1800s, the growth and suppression of labor unions and the racially motivated immigration laws of the early 1990s.  By understanding both sides of issues we learn to open our hearts so we can hear divergent concerns. Studying the past enables youth to see what worked and what didn’t so that they can better deal with the world they find themselves in today.

It is important that students learn how to search for truth, but even more important that teachers inspire them to want to do so.  Encouraging curiosity is the greatest of tasks.  There are consequences to complacency and ignorance. From an early age on, questioning should be encouraged. If a parent or teacher does not have an answer then the two should challenge themselves to discover what it is.  Parents can inspire curiosity when visiting national monuments like the Liberty Bell, the Statue of Liberty or the Capital. If the budget doesn’t allow for travel, then videos, books and local museums can provide material for discussion. In either case, there is no substitute for talking to children about what is seen. Exploring deeply will prepare them to be thinkers and intelligent voters. 

With the exception of a few states, most school curriculums cover environmental issues around global warming. The teens I speak to are knowledgeable and concerned, often more aware of the human influence on climate change than older adults. It is good that they understand the science but it would also be helpful if economic factors were brought into discussions for they are at the crux of congress’s unwillingness to act. Combatting warmer temperatures requires people to change the way they live, what they eat, and how they move.

Learning where money flows, who benefits and who sacrifices tells a lot about the political debate. It is a subject that should not be glossed over if we want our children to get us out of the mess we’re in. Recognizing that there are winners and losers and debating the pros and cons of various economic, religious and political systems is challenging but also interesting to most young minds. A place to start could be a discussion of  “the common good,” for it is at the base of many political and economic beliefs. 

My bicycle riding neighbor stop me, “ I don’t believe in the common good. I believe people should sink or swim on their own merits. I started out dirt poor. I’m a self made man. It wasn’t easy, but I was determined. Anyone who works hard can do the same.  I probably will wind up living in a gated community.”

This man of color pulled himself out of poverty.  He is intelligent, college educated, earned a pile of money that allowed him engage in entrepreneurial ventures. Unfortunately, most people do not have his skills nor the support that helped him become an NBA player. Thousands fall through the cracks of poverty, poor schooling and parental ignorance. 

Public education has the potential of being the great equalizer. But adults need to insure schools have resources and teachers who are willing and able to reach out and encourage  students to express concerns, to think for themselves and to problem solve. They need to learn when they’re being duped and how to analyze fake news. Collecting  and considering information is something curious people do

Public education is under attack and we can not let that happen. The move to use public money for private schooling through vouchers will exasperate the divide. Religious indoctrination doesn’t belong in public education. Integrating schools in the aggregate, works. Giving marginal students extra help, works. Funding pre-schools works. Providing school meals for the hungry, works. Special education for those with disabilities, works. Subsidizing college tuitions, works. Fair programs will allow our children to heal the social divid and make America great again.

I’m not hopeful about our country right now. I don’t like being marginalized and told I’m not a true patriot. We are all Americans and need to work together to keep democracy working. Seemingly we don’t have the ability to get over our differences, so let’s make sure our children do. Five them the tools to govern more rationally.

  References:

Saleh,S. (2014) Five things you never knew about Syria before the war. news.com.au. retrieved from https://www.news.com.au/world/five-things-you-never-knew-about-syria-before-the-war/news-story/50aee87307f613edcd8505f7bce12d0b

Krueger, H., Hardiman, K., Kelly, C. (2015)Trump’s most notable insults. The Hill. retrieved from https://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/249102-trumps-most-notable-insults

Lynn,R & Vanhanen,T., (2010)All Countries: What is the Average I! in the United Sates? IQ Research. retrieved from https://iq-research.info/en/average-iq-by-country/us-united-states

 

Art is always for sale. Contact marilynne@eichingerfineart.c

Past and Present

Art, Blog, social commentary

Georgetown Row Houses

Until the age of eleven, I lived in a row house close to neighbors, where friends were easily made and it was safe to roam the streets.

Then and Now

Last Saturday was my birthday. I was born on Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, which ushers in the Days of Awe that last through Yom Kippur. According to the Jewish calendar, fall rituals have been happening for 5779 years.  These high holy days are a time for remembrance, contemplation and forgiveness. It is a solemn occasion, yet joyous, for with forgiveness comes healing and joy. Children are blessed, extra charity is dispersed and honey cakes eaten to usher in a sweet year.

While celebrating my birthday and the holiday, I reminisced about my childhood and dead relatives. My first recollection as an infant was of my father waking me in my crib and while half asleep, carrying me downstairs to a house full of friends partying in our living room. I was bewildered by the noise, but the faces that peered in my direction were friendly.  Dad held me securely, as he and my mother did throughout the years I lived at home.

This memory brings to mind images of less fortunate families, those fleeing homes because of war or famine. I remember seeing a pictures of a child who drowned at sea while his parents watched helplessly from an overcrowded boat. Courageous men and women live through unimaginable adversity in order to escape the tragic realities of their homeland.  At the same time, the images make me grateful, for I was held securely, never dropped or neglected, but always loved, cradled and protected.

Grandpa protected us by roaming the neighborhood during WWII to make sure blackout shades were lowered. Mother watched out for us by carefully clipping rations to insure that we ate balanced meals that included vegetables from my grandparent’s victory garden. When the men left for the front and an aunt and cousins came to live with us, the adults shielded us from the brutality the war, made sure our early years were happy ones.

Later, when the U.S. was embroiled in the Cold War, there were no adults to protect me from fear.  Air-raid drills and bomb shelter talk put me in a state of continuous worry. I felt stressed and wanted to move far away from the coast, believing that Boston would be a prime target.  Propaganda said we’d be safe ducking under school desks to avoid harm from a blast. We were told to make preparations in case the had to stay in a basement shelter for several days. I became cynical after realizing we were lied to and being fed propaganda. It reinforced a belief that my future was tied to education. I wanted to be able to dig for the truth and make decisions based on fact.  But I digress. . .

Until my eleventh birthday I lived in a lower middle-class area of Philadelphia during a time peddlers hawked wares on the streets. I used to run outside the moment the organ grinder stopped to play in front of our house. His music attracted neighborhood kids with nickels to place in the monkey’s cup. Dressed in colorful shorts and red jacket, we were mesmerized as the animal ran back and forth from music box to the organ grinder’s shoulders.

Some families still used ice boxes instead of electric refrigerators, which brought the ice truck to a nearby corner. The iceman’s arrival always attracted a crowd of kids to his tailgate on hot summer days. When finished with deliveries, he took out his long icepick and chipped slivers of ice to put in outstretched hands. Licking icicles was a cooling way to enjoy the heat—and it cost nothing. However, the Howdy Doody truck which jingled later in the day, was also popular. I always tried to be first in line to get a popsicle.

Summer was for leisure and play. Hours were not heavily booked with classes and camps. We had plenty of time to splash in the water gushing from a hydrant that was opened by a friendly fireman and to play Hide and Seek, Jacks or Red Light, Green Light. Stay-at-home-moms watched out for our safety. I could get a band aid or drink of water at anyone’s house.

Today, I rarely see children gathering in the neighborhood for a pick-up game of ball or hopscotch. During vacations, most are away at camps or classes. When home, their parents hover over with worry, fearing that they’ll be hit by a car driving fast down our windy street or even kidnapped. Instead of letting them explore a nearby trail on their own, they accompany them on prescribed walks. No one would be permitted to play Red Rover, Red Rover across the road.

My biggest fear is fire. Last summer, my partner Ray, organized a fire watch for we were afraid of someone accidentally setting off a blaze in the dry canyon edging our property. Fortunately there were no incidents nor was water consumption limited but I fear a warming planet may make it happen one day. I empathize with residents of California who lost everything to fires that whipped through their neighborhoods. I”m grateful to live in the northwest where it is not as hot, and hope  we will have enough water and resources in the future to care for thousands of people flowing to Portland to escape unlivable heat.

In my twenties, I lived near Harvard University in Cambridge, MA. In many ways, shopping was easier then than it is now, for vendors still hawked wares up and down our street.  The milkman delivered dairy goods, baby diapers arrived and were taken away twice weekly. The Salvation Army’s band entertained us as it marched by our front steps. Trucks piled high with fresh fruits would be followed by one peddling pots and pans. And of course, everywhere we went the ice-cream truck jingled its tune. My favorite vendor, however, was the knife sharpener.  For a few coins, scissors and knives were kept dangerously sharp. Now, I depend on Ray to do the job when he has time. I’m too lazy to take them to a hardware store for sharpening. I used to walk to the grocery, meat market, hardware store, and I took sheets and shirts to the laundry where they were washed and ironed for such a reasonable sum that everyone, even college students, could afford to do so.

Today, most of us drive to mega stores, park a block away from the front door.  But, I noticed that there is a revival of inbound services. Not only can you get pizza delivered, but groceries and entire cooked or uncooked oven-ready meals can be delivered to your front door. Working adults are happily pampered by tip seeking deliverymen who make their lives easier. They certainly have benefited my wheelchair bound son.

I am, however, still a holdout waiting for the knife sharpener to come around.  My scissors are dull.

Art is always for sale. Contact me at marilynne@eichingerfineart.com.

Do share some of your fond memories from childhood and contrast them with how you live today.