Monday, November 23, 2020

Memories

 Do you remember the days when entertainment centered around people?

You invited people to your home, fellow-shipping and singing around the piano In the days before my time, before radio and TV, we entertained ourselves. I love to read books by authors Jane Austen
 
and Maud Montgomery and glimpse into times past when an evening of entertainment consisted of a skit, or a play or someone filling an evening by playing the piano or singing an aria. Since the days of electronics, we have even lost the art of correspondence of letter writing.
 
We now correspond instantly around the world, where it used to take weeks, sometimes months to hear from people in other states and countries. Now we text the person sitting across from us at the dinner table.

We have forgotten how to entertain ourselves. Perfection has wedged its way into our thinking.

It's a lost gift. During the days ahead, when family and friends gather around to celebrate the upcoming Christmas season, I hope the spark of fellowship and enjoyment will help us to remember how to entertain ourselves and relish time with others.

4 comments:

straythreads said...

Well said. When this Covid thing is over I’m going to do more entertaining.have a great thanksgiving

Cheryl's Teapots2Quilting said...

For years and years I was the one in the family that sent cards to people (with a stamp). I finally quit after years of people saying that they loved them, but when my birthday, etc came around, they couldn't even contact me (phone, text, email) instead they would leave comments on hubby's Facebook page (knowing that I'm NOT on Facebook). Of course I never even saw those messages. It just got to the point where it wasn't worth it anymore. I did have a friend that wasn't on the computer, etc, and she loved the 'funnies' that I found on the computer. I'd cut and paste pages of them and mail them to her. She'd pass them around to her other friends. I'd write long letters to her, too. She died almost 3 years ago. I miss writing her. I still have lots of 'funnies' saved on my computer that never got sent to her. My daughter in law is velcrowed to her phone. I'm hoping that she will put it down while she is here for Christmas (she didn't when I was there last January). I still call people, not just send emails, etc. Some kids today don't know how to make phone calls to anyone other than their parents. They text everything. Texting is ok for a quick question, but not for anything more than that. At least my son's like to call and talk to people much more than they want to text anyone. Both boys put their phones down, and forget to check them for hours at a time. We all prefer 'faces' to phones. I miss seeing other people's faces right now. Masks just aren't the same.

Carline said...

This touched my heart. I so miss those times. I don't live close to my kids and it sure does get lonely on the holidays. I remember those big dinners with a houseful of kids and Mom playing the piano too. Thanks for the memories

Val said...

And 2020 makes us realize this more. My Brother in love is in the hospital with Covid while his wife is at home sick with Covid. Our daughter just got over it. When this is all over I want to do more family stuff. I miss my family. Thanksgiving will look different tomorrow! But we are thankful.