Material Culture
Happy Mother’s Day, a day I can no longer celebrate since I lost my mom and my aunt, but all the same.
I was pondering human individuality, and what our things and what we do with them say about us. One famous art teacher and collector likes to pick up discarded grocery lists. The contents of shopping lists, and the tasks we write on our daily planners says a lot about us. Like snowflakes, no two are alike. We all write mini autobiographies when we pen a list, especially for the super market. How we do it is also telling. I used to write mine in my daily planner; now I text it to myself. No time to write it down. I’ve also used neat little pads like my aunt, or scraps of paper. My mom write lists for dad, or cruised the aisles working from memory.
It’s telling what things we put over and over; coffee, oatmeal, cat food, Clamato juice, coke.
The books on our shelves, or lack thereof, also say a lot about us. Some artists do portraits of people by painting the books on their book shelves. If we collect, or not, also says a lot. What we collect says even more. No two collections are every alike.
People who save nothing make a statement, too, as do those who painstakingly arrange their shoes and wardrobe.
Stuff matters. It defines us. It lives after us to describe who we are. Think King Tut, the Emperor’s Tomb, the Snettingham Horde.
People in Barbara Pym books all have their bits and
pieces. Marcia her bags, milk bottles,
and string. All have their books. Leonora Eyre has her perfect antiques. Older women their flea market finds, or bits
and pieces. Clergyman have soap animals
and Faberge eggs.
Some characters mentally collect license plates. They would love Pinterest. Jewelry is important to some, others have hobbies like caring for cats and hedge hogs. Jumble sales and Bring and Buys are routine. All have their books and magazines.
Even in simple things, what we chose to keep and discard from the material world defines us.
Thoughts to ponder.
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