Nostalgia and simplicity are ideals that strongly influence my life.
One of the my hobbies is collecting old sewing machines. The engineering of these old machines is a marvel of simplicity and functionality, and of fortitude, because these old machines are still quite functional today once cleaned up and oiled well, and in some cases re-wired. These were made at a time when a business man wanted to put his name on a manufactured item because he was proud of the fine work that had been done to design and make these machines. His reputation as a manufacturer of quality, well functioning goods was more important than the inflated bottom line of a balance sheet. Yes, he made money, but the money was built on that trustworthy reputation, not on building a cheap product and being indifferent as to whether it works or not after purchase.
An old sewing machine compared to a new sewing machine could be used as a metaphor for living now compared to then. An old sewing machine is a few levers, iron bars, springs, nuts and bolts, and wheels powered by a treadle or hand crank; i.e. human powered. Uncomplicated in it's use, it could sew anything a needle could go thru, and if it broke (which it rarely did) it was easily repaired, often by the user. New sewing machines are a maze of electronics; plastic gears, wires, motors, circuit boards, sensors, micro chips, computer screens, memory disks, etc. all with hundreds of special functions. If it breaks it's function becomes useless, it can't be repaired, the parts are obsolete. It's headed for the dump.
Life for most people seems to be like that new sewing machine, complicated, pre-programmed, rushed, multi-tasking, capable of doing special functions, but not knowing how to live, not being able to see the beauty of a calmer, slower, life, not being able to "smell the roses". Life breaks from the stress, and for some can't be repaired. They aren't useless, no one is useles, but life becomes non-functioning.
Thus, the need for Simplicity and the desire of Nostalgia. Edey
