Why do I love old things so much? I love old cars or what is properly termed “vintage”. There is just so much character, detail and personality to them. They represent eras, people and journeys that must hold so many stories. I see them and I see other worlds, I see status symbols, work horses, farmland, style, hippies, lovers, children being driven to school. I see young men drunk with lust and filled with hope, young women daring to be independent launching themselves into the world of competition.    

Vintage vehicles speak of hard work, a true love of engines and beauty in a car. Whether they sit rusted and without tires under a tree or go by fully refurbished with shiny chrome or are still taking people between point A and B, they are beautiful! They have a charm not to be found in the cars rolling off lots today.

I enjoy watching my shoes age! They take the shape of my feet and they tell of places I’ve been and things I’ve done. Shoes crease in different ways for different feet, the heel wears differently and standing without me in them, they speak only of me. I am in those shoes! I look at shoes on other people’s feet and they tell stories. I might not know the details but I can often tell if they are worn daily or not. If the person in them even cares about the shoe, if they ever take polish and a brush to bring back that shine, if they wear shoes for style, practicality, fun or comfort. Shoes tell about a person but they tell more if they are nice and old, holding on to their soles for one more walk.

Old houses are the best! Nothing holds my attention like broken down old houses or old houses needing repair. I know at one time these were new homes, bought with pride and sheltering a family with new sturdy walls and roof. Yet, time wears on everything and after all the love, pain, joy, disappointments, babies, deaths, arguments and making up, there is still more character growing in it every day. If they are abandoned I still feel the wealth of the lives that once occupied them and they tell so many different stories. Old houses offer great imagery, fantastic opportunities for good photographs and an active imagination!

Old trees, old people, old animals…beauty chiseled with the blade of time. To appreciate what goes into making something or someone old is an opportunity to learn, to understand the gift of time and the strength of what it leaves behind for the rest of us. It’s a testament to living, to being useful. The deeper the etching the greater the service, the least I can do is appreciate it.