I don't like a lot of things I would actually say my hate for certain things is on an even keel with things I love. This blog post is about one of the things I hate is uncaring, unfeeling people.
Living in a college town has been very challenging for me, I should write a book on my adventures. We live in a very nice part of town and we don't have many students in our area. The students that do live here I think are more in the graduate school level, so we are not witness to many parties or late night shenanigans.
At the end of the school year our dumpster becomes a treasure trove. I am literally left speechless as to what is thrown away. Many of the items I take to the Vina Moses Center and many other items we keep. T has scored brand new clothes, an office chair, Oakley sunglasses, Pioneer sound system, coffee table, DVD's, books and I recently scored an awesome Dyson vacuum cleaner. I have the entire family involved now in dumpster hunting.
Yesterday I found this recipe binder in the dumpster. It looked new as the plastic wrapping was semi attached. When I opened the binder my heart sank. One of the college girls who moved out threw this away. This binder of recipes was lovingly put together for her by her grandmother. Every recipe had a story. This must have taken a lot of time and effort to put together. It was a gift to her in 2010 and one that was never used.
I don't follow this person on Twitter, but I know who she is. I was thinking of keeping the binder and one day if she ever posts that her grandmother has passed away I would send her the binder. Would she even care?
A few weeks ago I spent time with my cousins on the East Coast. I picked my Aunts brains for all her recipes and wrote them down and they are now in a database of family recipes. Over the years I have collected everything that my Mother bakes and creates as I want those to be passed down to future generations.
I am sad that this girl didn't care enough to save this binder and that she couldn't see all the time and effort that was put into making this for her. Judging by the letter in the front of the binder her grandmother was very involved in her life.
When I see things like this I have the itch on the bottom of my feet to go into Ninja Bitch mode. I hope that one day she will realize what she threw away. I guess until then the only person important to her is the one she sees in the mirror.
How very sad.
I wish I was the person I am now when I was College aged. But wisdom and appreciation comes with time sadly.
ReplyDeleteI would agree on certain things that I did when I was younger were totally WTF was I thinking moments, but with regards to gifts and family I think I have been pretty consistent. My mother however may disagree.
DeleteI can relate. I could never understand why she would throw something like that out. Mrs. C cherished the time she spent with her grandma before she passed away. She didn't wait until after she was gone to appreciate her. And, even with no regrets, she still took it hard when Evie died. Imagine how this girl may feel.
ReplyDeleteMrs C was the most awesome granddaughter ever! Evie was blessed... they actually both were.
DeleteFamily, tradition, and great recipes only become more valued the older we get. Experience is the only teacher. Poignant post.
ReplyDeleteI agree Mattie, I wish I had paid more attention when my Grandmother made Cous Cous - I was only interested in the end result. :-)
DeleteI've told my mom countless times that I want a particular bowl in my parents' house that used to belong to my grandmother. There's no replacement for these touchstones of memory. I think it's cool that you might hold on to this for the girl's future.
ReplyDeleteI have little stickies on the bottom of everything I want in my Mom's home. :-)
DeleteI cannot fathom ever doing this. Even when I was in college. Even in high school. Maybe...maybe it was a mistake? I keep all my family recipes in a little wooden box and I treasure each and every one. Even the dog-eared spaghetti sauce-splattered ones. ESPECIALLY the dog-eared spaghetti sauce-splattered ones.
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