Appearances and (Our) Perceptions

Was at my Grandparents’ place over the holidays. Every time one of us (2nd, 3rd and even the 4th generation) pays a visit, we cannot help but complain about the massive amounts of “non-useful” things cluttering the house. My Grandmother probably has close to 30 pots and pans; yet, it has been 40 years since the last child moved out. The stove that was replaced recently is on the back porch; it is not quite 10 years old, and my Grandmother does not want “anybody” to have it. You see, the computer chip in said item is busted ($300 to replace), causing the oven not to function; still, the top of the stove itself is in perfect working condition. To people of my Grandparents’ generation, it would be a waste to throw it out; save it for someone who “might be able to use it.” To someone like me, who is trying to rid their life of junk, the fact that a broken stove was taking up space when it should be in the trash, could have, if I would have allowed it, driven me nuts. But I digress.



Then there are the giant-sized tins in the cupboard. I had not really noticed them before, but now they stood out like a sore thumb. They have been there forever and are all rusted over. There used to be a design or drawings on them, but they have long faded away. “What possible use could one have for these things?,” I wondered. On the second day of our visit, I inquired where the grits was stored. “Look in the tins,” was the reply I received. “Those rusted out things under the sink?,” I thought quietly. Sure enough, inside of the tins were four or five fresh, unopened bags of grits. Amongst all the junk, here was food at the ready. I took the liberty of going through the other tins: rice, canned preservatives, sugar, flour and other items that would come in handy if flood, hurricane, unnatural disaster, etc. were to strike.

My Mother later informed me that these tins are at least 45 to 50 years old. The junk cluttering my Grandparents’ house aside, I thought about how I was so quick to dismiss the tins because they were “old and rusted.” How many times do we, in general, look at something, or someone for that matter, and dismiss them because of appearance?

“Oooh, girl! You going out with him? He has a really good job and knows how to treat a lady, but he is not the most attractive man…”
“These boots are warm and comfortable, but they don’t do anything for my wardrobe.”

There is no stand-out lesson to be learned or anything here. Just something that will probably cross my mind if ever I am in the market to buy a home and I encounter one that is sensible, reasonable, in a near-perfect neighborhood and is bright orange with neon green Berber carpet.