When times are hard - I mean very hard - one learns to use one's resources wisely. I don't remember a time that we did not have a newspaper, but the papers were for more than keeping up with the news. I will try not to forget the ways we used the daily.
Before garbage disposals food waste was disposed of by wrapping it in newspaper before putting in the trash can. There were no plastic bags. Mom continued this practice until her death.
Often Mom made a sewing pattern from a borrowed pattern copied onto newspaper. I still have some of those old patterns.
We kids got in on the action too. Our homemade kites were made of newspaper. We learned how to made paper doll chains using newspaper. We made paper airplanes, sailboats, various shaped hats, papiermache which we used like clay to form crude replicas of something or another.
A rolled up newspaper rendered an effective flyswatter, spanking, or telescope. Some people used the colorful Sunday comics for wrapping paper for gifts, but we did not do that. Newspaper made good kindling for starting the fire which used to take care of most of the trash and yard waste before such was banned in the city.
Then when there were more papers than uses, we collected them for "the war effort."
Of course, we also learned about the world, enjoyed the "funnies," kept up with the various celebrities, found out where the bargains were, etc. Just think, the newspaper may be going the way of the buggy whip. ("What's a buggy whip?" you ask.)
2 comments:
I heard recently that phone books may go away too, and think of what those have been used for too. Imagine. We'll have to boost our children to the table with our computers - and dry/press flowers there too! I know that there is often an unrealistic view of the past as "the good old days," but sometimes I do think that's true. Then again, I really do like my cell phone and internet. Some things don't co-exist well, I guess.
This post reminds me of a story I heard several months ago. In England, I think it is, they've taken to buying books at the thrift stores and burning them for heating their homes. The tough "green" laws have made it too expensive to heat the conventional way.
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