The fact that man knows right from wrong proves his intellectual superiority to other creatures; but the fact that he can DO wrong proves his moral inferiority to any creature that cannot.
~ Mark Twain
Books
April 18, 2011
Simple Statement of the Day
March 23, 2011
Simple Statement of the Day
Mankind's true moral test, its fundamental test (which lies deeply buried from view), consists of its attitude towards those who are at its mercy: animals. And in this respect mankind has suffered a fundamental debacle, a debacle so fundamental that all others stem from it.
~ Milan Kundera, The Unbearable Lightness of Being
November 20, 2008
Simple Statement of the Day
Knowledge is power, but without wisdom it is deadly.
~ L.A. Banks (author of "The Wicked", 2008, pg 328)
November 19, 2008
Sometimes Older Can Be Better
When I was in 7th grade, my grandfather bestowed upon me his pin collection. I don't mean pins like the ones used to keep a hem in place, but the ones that were kept on lapels to support presidents or opinions. At first I was confused: where was my awesome Christmas gift of Beanie Babies? Then apathy kicked in and the bags were tossed into the back of my closet.
Years later I dragged the bags out and sifted through them. To my surprise, there were pins inside supporting FDR, Nixon and even Adlai Stevenson. Some even proclaimed "Don't Panic!" in the charm of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. All of a sudden, they were cool.
Now that I'm out of college and on a budget, I've found myself flocking once again to older things: vintage slips that I turn into tops, old postcards pulled from a bargain bin in Gettysburg, costume jewelry that used to be my grandmothers, even books from a massive thrift shop in New Jersey. New things can be lovely, but to buy an item someone else cherished if only for a short time can be a real boost. I always considered it owning a piece of history, no matter how recent or short lived.
Flea markets, thrift shops, antique shops, the Salvation Army, Plato's Closet (for Illinois folks), second hand stores, garage/yard sales, Goodwill, anything along those lines can hold unknown treasures to keep and cherish for as long as you live. Donations to Goodwill and the Salvation Army are other amazing ways to dispose of clothes and other items you no longer treasure in the hopes that someone else might.
What I've learned from shopping secondhand is that things you love but that aren't exactly up to date can be remodeled by a tailor or cleaner to keep the beauty of the piece. Just ask my patent leather purse!
For more information on where to go to buy secondhand, click here.
Happy Sorting, Sifting and Shopping
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