Taking Care of Old Things

why we need a new life

Have you ever noticed how it's harder to take care of old things than it is new? Like the faucet on my master bath sink: it's disintegrating due to the hard water deposits. Shining the chrome on that faucet only produces a so-so-looking result. 

Or take our hardwood living room floors. They are original to our 1917 bungalow and have been sanded down so many times that the finishing nails protrude and snag our socks. The edges of the planks occasionally splinter and break off, sometimes sticking into feet. There’s only so much I can do to make this shabby wooden floor look good. In fact, it’s part of the reason I don’t clean it very often. That and I have kids who trek dirt inside every day.

It's not very satisfying taking care of shabby things. I'd much rather polish a brand-new sink faucet or unscratched wooden floor.