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i’m more than a little charmed by vintage objects: typewriters, rotary phones, milk bottles, vw vans, crinolines…you get it.  if it feels like it belongs to yesteryear, i’m all over it.  on pinterest, i’ve created a board called “charmed i’m sure.” these images represent things that feel like a breath of fresh air.  i’ve shared a few of them in the slideshow above, but feel free to click over for a broader glimpse.  i’m sure the charm in these things stems from a sense of nostalgia.  as the world gets slicker and sleeker, things can feel a bit cold and detached.  the old-fashioned way, by contrast, feels so much sweeter.

last week, my mother-in-law messaged me through facebook.  i think someone opened the account for her two years ago, but she’d never been on there.  i was so shocked to receive her message that i sent her a text to confirm that no one had hacked her account! the irony is that i have been bugging her to get on there. i often post pics of my kids and never remember to shoot them to her in an email.  also, sometimes you feel like once you’ve shared some tidbit on facebook, you’ve shared it.  in your mind then, everybody knows, but those who aren’t on facebook actually have no idea.  anyhow, turns out it was her and now i assume she’s been clicking away, taking it all in… though, i’ve yet to see her post any comments.  who knows if she’ll become a regular.  both my mom and my dad have facebook accounts.  mom will comment on photos and post her own status updates, while dad is much more of a passive observer.  only time will tell where nana will find herself on the spectrum.  i hope she’ll at least put up a profile pic

still, i can totally get why that generation may hesitate to embrace this technology.  certainly they don’t want our relationships to become limited to the threads of the facebook newsfeed, and nor should we. and let’s face it, we can get a little lazy.  we forget to reach out directly, because we rely on facebook to keep us in touch.  i found this ad on pinterest. it’s from 1958 and it still holds true: the telephone “carries friendship and love across the miles.”  i can text, tweet, and facebook (forget about skype and facetime– i wan’t you to imagine that i look great, even if i’m sitting there looking a mess) with my friends and loved ones, but there’s nothing like a good, old-fashioned gabfest.  i recently shared one with my friend, c.  she was my maid-of-honor, but over the years we’ve (read: she’s, *wink*) been terrible about keeping in touch and, to make matters worst, she hadn’t been on facebook.  also, for some reason, i didn’t imagine her as a texter, even though it’s not like she’s some grandma.  as a result, we had had zero communication and i had NO idea about anything that was going on with her and vice versa.  so when we spoke via phone, it was like hearing a fantastic saga.  i hung on every word as she filled me in on her life.  after that phone call, it was as though NO time had passed.  now we’re texting and she’s logging onto facebook to stay connected, but that first conversation was irreplaceable.  by the way, here’s hoping she decides to share some of her adventures, publicly… that’s right, c, i’m throwing down the gauntlet!

speaking of old-fashioned, i also think about this technology thing as it relates to my daughters and their future dating.  remember when a boy had to call your home phone if he wanted to communicate with you? in doing so, he risked your mom, or worse, your dad, answering the phone: “hello, mrs. such and such, is (fill in name) available?”  i’m sure it was nerve-wrecking, but it was good for them to sweat a bit and use their manners.  now, i guess, boys just text or tweet or facebook a girl to let her know he’s thinking about her.  i’m certain this is not a positive development! cutting out the middle man (i.e. parents) is never a good thing.  i hope i can convey this to my daughters, but i’m sure it will difficult for them to understand, since these practices are becoming so antiquated.

so call me old-fashioned, but do it by phone…and don’t be surprised if you even get a busy signal (remember those?!?!?!)