Memories of childhood

Do you remember playing house as a child? I remember playing house when I was really little, but unless I had friends over, playing house as an only child was a bit lonely. Mostly, I remember playing that I was in charge at an office. I would tape down the switchhooks (I had to look that term up) on my phone and then I would collect the subscription postcards out of magazines and play for hours that I was answering very important phone calls. I would fill out the postcards with the very important information that I was gathering from these very important phone conversations. I also thought it was really cool that my office was in my home. I would make my "desk" very fashionable with flowers, a few encyclopedias (they were pretty), an elegant ink pen, and pretty stationery. 

Fast forward many years and one of my favorite rooms in my home is my office. It is a reflection of who I am and what is important to me. The main feature is my desk made of walnut, handmade by my grandfather for his law office. On it sits a replica of a black rotary phone. Along the wall is another long table that was from my great-grandmother's home. The rest of my office is filled with books, lanterns, plants, and of course an oversized wall clock. Because our homes play such an important role in creating a sense of meaning and comfort, it is not surprising that our home is tied to the sense of who we are, our identity. Our home is our identity reflected back to us through choices of paint colors, furniture, art, and other objects. As a child I was developing that business identity of who I am today.

There are many reasons why we decorate our homes. But the decor we choose tells people who we are without us having to say anything. As well, the objects we choose to put in our homes say something about who we are and what is important to us. When you walk into someone's home, you get a sense of who they are. For instance, I have around 15 oversized clocks in my home. I might have more; I'll never say. But, I do have one in almost every room. Being a psychology major, I could psychoanalyze that for days...but I don't have issues with time. Truly, it's just that I have an aesthetic appreciation for the look of clocks. Clock was also my oldest son's first word. He was fascinated with them as well. I like clocks that are elegant, organized, functional, and interesting in a non-flashy way. Clocks have depth with their internal workings and features, and they also represent the known. If you listen closely, you can hear their unassuming presence. It's comforting. I value the "known" and although I'm "somewhat" adventurous, the "unknown" is not something I seek out for a thrill. I can deal with it, but I don't seek it. So, yes, I suppose clocks tell you a little about who I am.

Sometimes the objects that are important to us, are not always on display for everyone to see. We just finished another renovation on our house, so we had pretty much everything in storage. Yesterday, as I was putting back our china, I unwrapped the objects in the picture. They don't seem like much, but to me, they are a reminder of my childhood.

I was lucky to have grandparents who loved me. And I have lots of adventure stories from both sets of grandparents. But I loved to go to my Mamaw and Aunt Cill's houses. Their homes always welcomed me with open arms filled with love, warmth, and a lot of laughter. Mamaw had some interesting objects in her home that for some reason I was fascinated with. I would play or just look at them for hours. She had a cast iron toothpick dispenser with a woodpecker that had a beak that would pick up one toothpick at a time. She had a small, stuffed alligator from Florida that fascinated, yet also frightened me. But this little salt and pepper pop-up toaster set was my favorite. I just thought it was so neat that this little toaster functioned like a real toaster, with the white bread for salt and the rye bread for pepper. I was easily amused.

Additionally, my Aunt Cill owned a little restaurant in town and I would spend hours with her there when I visited. She was the person in my life who helped to spark my creativity. I was fascinated by every object in the diner, from the cash register to the hamburger press. At a very young age, she would let me create the menus and write them out by hand, arrange the gum and candy display, rearrange the tables and chairs, wait on tables, and she would also let me cook on the flattop grill. I created a grilled doughnut that I mashed flat with the hamburger press that she put on the menu. It became a big hit with the regulars. But my favorite activity was to fill up these tiny glass coffee creamers with milk from the big milk dispenser. When I look at them, I think of how lucky I am to have had such love in my life. I don't look at these objects often, but when I open my china cabinet I smile and my heart is filled with gratitude.

What objects are in your home are a reflection of who you are?

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