Y'all so I've been thinking about this for a while. I saw this artist post a video a while back, and then today Adam and I watched Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and that realllly got me wondering-
WHY do we put so much value on "antiques"?
Do not get me wrong. I love antiques. My childhood bed was over a century old, my grandparents have gifted me so many awesome antiques throughout my life, hell the desk I started this podcast on was an antique. My favorite flower pots are vintage cachepots. I love the style, I love the history, I love that they have lasted for so long and it implies that they will continue to last.
(QUICK SIDENOTE: yes, a few of my antiques are haunted. Those pieces do not reside in this home lol.)
But like why am I so obsessed with these relics? Why are any of us?
Which brings me to a more philosophical question... Why do we often place higher value things (ahem, people) once they've aged, and are maybe even nearing the end of their life? Is it the association of age with wisdom? Is it the knowledge that "oh crap, we're running out of time to enjoy their company" ? Similarly, why do we place such value on keeping people alive far past their expiration date? That sounds crass, I know, but hear me out.
Think of how many nursing homes are full of elderly people who are ONLY being kept alive through pills and potions, who enjoy no quality of life, who maybe even don't REALIZE they are still alive- just so that family can selfishly come visit every few weeks and not have to deal with the emotional turmoil that comes with saying goodbye?
I'm not sure, but it makes me sad. It's like we take this value we put on objects that we see in museums, right? We preserve those for the future. And that is a WONDERFUL thing (I love museums and education obvi) but we kind of objectify loved ones in that same way. We put them in nursing homes, where they will be cared for and preserved for when we want to view them. Where is the humanity in that? Do they get a say?
Just my ramblings for the week, friends. Hope you have a great week- let me know what you think about this in the comments below. :)
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