Today I knocked the tea over. It caught this book and looks to have created a minor stain on the paper edges on the top. (I’ve since written this up on my computer). For a brief moment I was upset. For years I’ve had this desire to keep things looking as new. But, then I remembered how I’ve been getting many second hand items. They often come with their own bumps and scratches yet it never impedes the ability for the item to perform its function.
Why therefore should a bit of tea be a problem with this notebook? Within seconds, years of protective reactions to keeping things “perfect” faded. I’ve been embracing imperfections and finding satisfaction.
I’ve been writing a lot on the typewriter for example. If you make a mistake there is no delete key. Unlike a word processor where I can finish an edited product, with a typewriter I am forced to simply backspace then X out the word/words. And this is fine! The messy page still holds the value of my thoughts. As does this very page I am handwriting.
I’ve two Sony TVs at home in my office. Both have scratches on the plastic plus some discolouration on the pixels in places. The old me would have thrown out and/or felt annoyed by the imperfection. However I’ve been enjoying both so much. Playing games with my son or watching movies. I don’t see the pixel problem or the slight shadows. I just see the entertainment. I still get the value from the items.
I think we’ve been slowly trained to always crave the “upgrade” the “latest version”. Phones, tablets became items you upgrade after a year or so, rather than keep and continue to extract value from. This plays great for the corporates as we keep buying.
How then I yearn for the times when things were built to last and were repairable. They could be handed down, with all their bumps and scrapes telling a story. Still providing value, the value it was designed for.
Back to this book. With a tea stain it still has the same value to offer. Despite my handwriting and messy pages, my ideas are being recorded and perhaps one day read by you!
No AI was used to write this post. Just me, and my messy handwriting! 🙂
Featured image by Rumman Amin on Unsplash