How were you
raised? Was someone else’s trash your
treasure?
Were you allowed to forage and go on treasure hunts?
I have a vivid early memory of being pushed in my pram by my
mother, around a home building site near where we lived, while my mother and
older siblings collected leftover aluminium cans for recycling…wow, treasure
just left lying around!
When I was a young girl, maybe around 8 years of age, Mum
and us kids went for a drive to the nearby tip (rubbish dump or refuse site for
you non-Aussies). We lived in a rural
farming area and were probably going to dump garden clippings…but I’ll never
forget the excitement of my mother and sister, when they discovered some woman’s
discarded ‘treasures’. I remember
hearing a comment that all the stuff must have been from a deceased estate as
it was ‘so good’ that no-one would dump it otherwise…and although I did
feel a bit saddened by this thought, it wasn’t long before I was caught up in
the excitement and was rummaging seeking something of worth...
The excitement of finding treasure, or a good bargain I must
admit has not left me, and although I no longer rummage tip sites (it is
illegal now for safety reasons) I do like to visit op-shops (charity stores)
and I still like to not waste if possible.
The problem today however in our western countries, is that
we are more and more a use and discard society.
I’m sure you’ve heard it said or have probably said it yourself more than
once…that things aren’t made to last anymore…
Technological devices are made for a season and to be
discarded when upgraded…and to be honest we do need to discard many things when
they’re no longer useful, otherwise we’d be inundated with STUFF…hmmm, perhaps
too much impulsive buying contributes here too L
I know people who are
swamped with an overload of STUFF…even to the point where the STUFF is
controlling them!
Australia has changed…my grandmother was in the ‘depression’. Times were tough and luxuries were scarce…when
I was a girl my mother was careful with every dollar…I think it would be a safe
assumption to say that the majority of Australians today have savings and or available
spending money (even if they do grumble about not having enough :P)
But my real point here is that many young Australians (IMO) let’s
say adults under the age of 45yrs…do not know the meaning of true treasure…let
me explain…
Discarded is the
skill of master craftsmen…now it’s all factory manufactured quick fixes…the opinion
seems to be why spend $2,000 and be stuck with the same item for 20 years, when
you can spend $500 and keep updating with the trends…
Discarded are the
crafting skills passed on by women through generations…the question asked seems
to be ‘why spend the whole day sewing when you can go to the super-store?’ Not many ask ‘can we bond as a family through
teaching and learning?’
Discarded are the
life-long marriages... ‘why stay with the old model, when you can update to a
newer one?’
Discarded are the
family relationships… ‘why spend time catching up with family when you can
see all their status updates online?’
WAKE UP PEOPLE!!!
All this STUFF that you hold so close to you, so close that
it consumes you…is TRASH (cause that’s
where it’ll end up)!
What is your view on
treasure?
Jesus is MY treasure and the relationships He
provides me with…in love Melanie.
