A (More) Meaningful Life

I really hope that this doesn't sound too preachy or self serving....the intention was to write about life and my shop, and how much I miss the way life was before the smart phone.....and the Internet, for that matter.

I, and many others lived during the time of no computers, when friendships were formed based on face to face meetings and real conversations and time spent together (with family or friends) meant just that.....time spent together. We didn't have our eyes and fingers glued to a 3" X 6" rectangle that is called a smart phone. This phone is ubiquitous.....and it has damaged some aspects of how we relate to each other. It has taken away the simple enjoyment of seeing the world around us...noticing a mother bird feed her young, or the way a flower has grown in the oddest of places, a cat wondering around outside or an unexpected smile from a stranger.

But even more disturbing than that is the way some people cannot be without a phone for a second of their day, even while driving or meeting friends for lunch or coffee. A husband and wife out for dinner is more often than not, seen looking at their phones, hoping to connect with someone or something that is invisible to them while their significant other is sitting right across from them, lost in THEIR phone because what else are they going to do...just sit there and be ignored? 

There was a time when if you wanted to buy something new to wear, the only way was you had to walk into a store and talk to an actual live person and try things on to see what looked best on you. You could touch the fabrics, and see how something looked in real time....right there in the store. Then, you would pay for and have your items wrapped and placed into a bag and you would carry that bag out of the store and feel elated...you couldn't wait to get home to try it on again. That experience is something I hold near to my heart and one that still exists, thankfully.

I wish there were a way to get this message to the generation who only knows this way of being in the modern world. They may never know what it is like to talk to a stranger while waiting in line at the post office, or the simple pleasure of gazing at the beautiful world around them, or being in a shop and being able to see what they were buying right in front of their eyes. I feel sad for them but at the same time, grateful for having known the other side.....B.S. (before smart phones)

We can choose to enjoy both sides of the world.....using our phones when necessary but also engaging in life. The part of life where you connect with other human beings and animals and the world around you. 

This same philosophy carries through to how I operate my business. It was never my main purpose...to have a store that merely exists to make money, no matter what. I wanted to share my love of beautiful clothing, etc. with the world and to connect with my customers in a personal way...to laugh with them (and sometimes cry) and to help them find their best look. Maybe that makes me a bad businesswoman. 
(That part was supposed to be a joke)

Tattered Rose is a place for friends to gather who share in their love of beautiful things. Much of the clothing we sell is one-of-a-kind. It's not throwaway fashion....it is more meaningful than that. Shopping online will never make your local community better or help to keep the local economy from disappearing into thin air. Which leads me to the whole point of this blog post....

For those of us who know the other side, let's try to encourage the younger generation to put down their phones for as much of the day as they can so that they too will know what it means to live with purpose and with the simple experience of connecting with other human beings....face to face, with meaning. Encourage them to shop in real bricks and mortar stores that will be able to stay open and help keep the economy going around them. Let's help everyone live a more meaningful life. 

Living a (more) meaningful life is what makes it all worthwhile, even in times of hardships. The people you love can never be replaced by what you might find online. 

♥