These are the thoughts of a Texas transplant in West Michigan who makes his living as a newspaper reporter by evening, and a struggling novelist by day.

Saturday, June 06, 2009

antiques and memories

we went to a few antique shops friday afternoon. i enjoy looking around, touching old stuff and imagining where it came from, who owned it previously and how old some of the stuff is.

inevitably i knew some things would prove nostalgic and remind me of something from my past.

we stopped in one shop in town and we hung out. i stopped, pausing to look at this chair. sticking up from a point of the chair was an old autographed-stamped baseball glove. the webbing was done in the fashion where it had four squares. i couldn't tell whose autograph was on it, but i put it on, it barely fit my left hand. but it took me back. i had a similar glove when i was a kid. it had a similar autograph, although the player's name eludes me. i used it quite a bit.

then i moved down another aisle and found an old conch shell. it was big, probably about a foot long with points spread across it. i, of course, put it to my ear and i heard the sounds of the ocean coming fromwithin it. as i held it in my hand, i recalled my grandparents had one. it was similar, but probably a bit more compact and without the points. they used it as a door stop. i used to hold my grandparents' conch shell to my ear as a kid and listen to the ocean, even though i'd probably only been out to the gulf once at the time.

at another shop we ran across some furniture. i felt the wood and the latches to pull the drawers open. i lifted them and let them drop back, hitting the metal attched to the wood. the sounds, latches and drawers reminded me of some old furniture my other grandparents once had.

it was crazy. it was like going back in time.

Friday, June 05, 2009

see you on the interweb

it was sad a few days ago to see a friend for the last time.

we've not stopped being friends or anything. she's moving to another part of michigan and doubtful she'll return to this area.

but while i'll probably never see her in person again, i'll still be in contact with her. no, not telephone or cell or through letters (although that could be possible), but through the internet.

she's a friend on facebook and it's easy to see what's going on in her life by posts or by thefacebook version of IM or by the facebook e-mail. so i can even talk to her in real time if i wanted.

it's interesting how technology has helped us continue our friendships and relationships. hell, it helped me find a friend and wife some years ago.

it's just fascinating that i don't have to see my friend or talk to her to know exactly what are some things she's up to on a given day. i like it.

i think that while the interweb has destroyed letter writing (see the compiled letters opf hemingway, an accomplished letter writer), it has brought our world so close together and helped maintain relationships in another way.