Today’s Disposable Mentality

July 20, 2012

I like to watch old sitcoms with my boys. A while back I got the idea that watching some classic old shows like “Dennis the Menace” or “Father Knows Best” would teach the boys good manners and conversational skills without being preachy or boring. We watch the episodes together, and I can nonchalantly draw attention to the way that people introduce each other, help ladies to their seats, and answer telephones. It works rather well for us.

As a result of watching these shows that date back to the 1950’s the children are also seeing objects and hearing references to things that are unfamiliar to them. There are the obvious ones, like typewriters, rotary phones, a telephone operator, and a milkman, but some are more subtle. The time Boy Two said, “I didn’t know that you could fix a broken TV set!” really made me stop and think. At one point or another on most of these shows, a repairman arrives at the house to fix an appliance or a vacuum, or something of that nature.

I compared this to our lives. Aside from maintenance on the plumbing, heating, and air conditioning, we haven’t had a “repairman” in our home. June Cleaver’s kitchen is more different than mine in more ways than I had suspected!

If June’s blender stopped working, Ward would have brought it out to the workbench in his garage to fix it. If her vacuum’s motor started making a funny smell, she would call a handyman. If the television, washing machine, sewing machine, or refrigerator needed attention, the Maytag man would come by the house to have a look at it.

I wonder when it changed? When I was younger, these things were built to last. They were major household investments. Now we sigh, toss them away, and run to a big box store to replace them. My father and most of the men in his peer group would tinker away their free time in their garages. They would keep the cars in good working order and repair household items. Now cars are leased for a few years before they are turned in for a newer model, and the garage has become a place for storage.

I wondered if perhaps this new disposable mentality could be a contributing factor to some of the societal ills we are experiencing. I was really glad that my eyes were opened up to the way my kids are seeing the world.

I gathered up some of their more precious belongings. A beloved but tattered puppet, a video game that is almost to the highest level, some quilts their grandmother made for them. I started pointing out the flaws in them.

“Oh, look at this puppet, it has been sewn back together so many times! We should replace him!” The thought horrified them! They insisted that they loved that toy so much they would never throw it away.

“These quilts are old now, we should give them to charity.” They protested some more and argued that they used the quilts every single day and they were so comfortable and comforting!

“I can scarcely read the label on this game anymore. It’s completely worn off. We should get rid of this one and by a new one.” Now they caught on to what I was doing and became indignant. They countered that some things could never be replaced – and did they know how long it took to make that much progress?!?!

I smiled. My plan worked. Now it is my job to reinforce those feelings, over, and over, and over again.

I want them to know that when they invest in something, that they should care for it, and treat it well. I hope that if they have a tough day and make a mistake at work, they can go back in, face the consequences, and move forward building their career. I especially and fervently pray that they will choose their wives wisely, and if a day comes when money is tight, or patience is thin, or circumstances change, that they will know that what we love shouldn’t be thrown away. Let them remember that sometimes, even if something doesn’t look as beautiful as it did when it was new, it is still our source of comfort, and that when we work very hard to make a lot of progress, it is foolish to think we should start over just because the packaging doesn’t look the same.