Inner- earth. Dusty, broken, shelved in my garage for nine years.
I own a slice of earth, literally. My grandfather polished a core sample from his oil days and fitted it into a lamp. It was well- worn and broken by the time it came to live with me. The lamp became Something I’ll Get To. I never did.
I know I’m not the only one. Homes across the nation are filled with dusty artifacts we meant to get to one day. We have cheap replacements that we throw out when they stop working. Ours has been called a “throw away” culture; we’re more likely to replace than refurbish.
Madness! If something can be fixed, you fix it. You don’t throw it away.
Enter loved ones :: sweet husbands who surprise you with repaired lamps and re-upholstered couches.
I think by now, everyone knows what they need to do to reduce their environmental impact and live a sustainable lifestyle. We aren’t going to save the planet simply by up-cycling used furniture, but it’s a good start.
What we need is a whole new approach to how we furnish our lives.
If I Can’t Fix It, Someone Can
Start with where you are and what you need done. I recently sent a pair of leather gloves to be re-stitched and conditioned. I could probably do it myself but I don’t sew and I have no plans to learn. It wasn’t cheap {$40} but neither are vintage leather gloves.
Learning to live more sustainably isn’t supposed to be stressful. It’s the opposite of that. You don’t need to be a master of all trades; you can give your business to locals who already know what they’re doing.
A Growth Mindset
I don’t mean to sound anti- capitalist; retail therapy is real. I just happen to be a bit idealistic and think we can have it both ways. We can have a free market and be environmentally responsible.
The key to changing poor habits is to develop new ones, right? Pick one project for completion; send it off for repair. You’ll start noticing other things you can give a new life to. It’s almost addictive.
Let’s Have a Renaissance
When we stop utilizing repair services, those specialties become rare. The average person is already losing essential skills like navigation and building fires- imagine the world without tradesmen. This isn’t just about going retro or shopping vintage. Our technology is quickly replacing the skills we’ll need in a world which uses fewer natural resources. We need STEM but we also need to retain the skilled trades.
Every home has an unfinished project- what can you repair instead of replace?
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