Tuesday night's "Passionate Housewives Desperate for God" book study, generated some discussion about the home appliances of today compared with those of a generation or so back. We were reminded of the great helps we have which make our housework much easier and speedier now. The challenge was put to us: "what have we got to whinge about these days when we've got it so much easier than our forbears?"
I was thinking of my mother who had to use an old copper to boil our clothes in on wash day, and all the work that entailed for her. Memories flooded back of our laundry filling up with billows of hot steam and her poor face, reddened and sweaty, while she lifted things out with the copper stick to put into the concrete tubs for rinsing. Back-breaking work some days! The hand wringing of delicate garments and the pushing of tougher fabrics through the wind up wringer attached to the copper, left her hands raw and sometimes cracked from being in so much water all day. With a large family of 7, the basket was heavy ladened and there was always a full clothes line in our backyard with swinging shirts and towels and flapping sheets. And seeing as most wives were at home in those days, our ritual was no different from our neighbours. Line upon line of washing could be seen across the yards and down the street. Children playing in the sunshine while busy mothers chatted over the fences was the norm. There was always Mrs So-and-So out and about her garden, and always someone to wave to while you pegged out the washing back then.
Now you rarely catch sight of women in the yard hanging the clothes on a line. Many are simply not home. Some may be indoors, but using the dryer in the laundry instead of the sun to finish off the washing for them. The neighbourhoods are very quiet on washdays now. The community atmosphere is long gone out of it; and people stay huddled inside not even knowing if next door is empty, or has some needy soul longing for human contact dwelling within.
Yes, we are very blessed to have modern household gadgets to ease the load for us - but it's a real shame that at times, they cause us to lose opportunities for good old-fashioned neighbourly contact and friendships. Modern convenience is not always so wonderful - some things of the past need to be retained. Like noisy neighbourhoods on washdays!
blessings..Trish
linked to http://raisinghomemakers.com/
Trish,
ReplyDeleteWow! Your mother sure was a hard worker on laundry days! It makes our laundry days of today seem quite effortless.
It is nice to have the modern washer and dryer, but like you were mentioning, the days of neighbors communicating with one another is quite rare. Most of the time, you don't even know your neighbors, nor do they want to know you.
Also, like you mentioned, many women are not full-time homemakers anymore. In my neighborhood, I think I am the only one at home most of the time, for the rest of the houses in my neighborhood are empty. It's almost like a ghost town. It's quite sad.
Anyway, have a blessed day. :)
-Lady Rose
Hi Lady Rose,
ReplyDeleteYes my Mum has always been a hard worker and I think that has helped her reach 93yrs of age. I am probably quite a lot older than you-in my 50's-so my childhood memories will be of a different vintage. I wouldn't want to have to work as hard as my mother did back then but I'd like to see the community spirit return to suburban streets. I actually live in a large country town but as it grows and "progresses" people are becoming more distant from each other :-(
You have a very blessed day too! Trish