I admit it, I’m an ‘American Pickers’ junkie. Last Saturday, I spent an entire day watching episodes of American Picker. And after that I had to ask myself, “why is it that you love this show?”
I love old stuff. I love the characters that collect old stuff. I love garage sales, auctions, and flea markets. I love digging through junk and coming up with a jewel. But most of all, I love the connections.
I love every antique I have, for the story it tells. For where it’s been, and who has used it. I love sitting at my oak dining room table with 6 leaves (do you know how long that makes a table?), and knowing that my great-grandparents sat at this table surrounded by family and friends. Maybe I’m hokey, but I feel their spirit at that table. The spirit of family, love, fellowship, strength, perseverance…all those things I’ve been taught that they were. I love running my hand over the top of that table, and imagining my great-grandmother and my grandmother rolling noodles and spreading them to dry. Just touching that table, knowing that they too have touched it, is emotional for me. I feel the connection.
I’ve watched episodes of “Hoarders” and “Clean House”. I know that ‘stuff’ can get out of control. But I also believe that there is something to be said for keeping pieces of our past, handed down from generation to generation, connecting us to our roots, to our heritage, to our birthright. Something that we can touch, that we can physically feel, and know that those before us have touched it too. Something that tells the story of who my family was.
So if you come to my house, well, it’s gonna be full…but man, do I have some stories to tell you!
49andcounting 