As I walked through an old 1800’s boarding house in Greenfield Village, I felt so calm and nostalgic.  The house felt welcoming and cozy.  I felt as if I belonged there.  If only I had lived back then, during simpler times.  Times when people worked hard all day and spent quiet evenings by candlelight with their families.  Children played games while mother cooked a homemade meal in the kitchen.  Father returned home to a family meal at the dining room table.  Everyone relaxed by the fire either reading or sewing. Why can’t things still be that simple?

The house was beautifully decorated with handmade linens and curtains.  The walls were papered with pretty flowers and colorful stripes that I’ve never seen before.  Pretty chandeliers hung in the dining room, while the parlor was decorated for entertaining guests.  The bedrooms were quaint and relaxing.  No televisions or computers.  No telephones or video games.  The bedroom was meant for sleeping and nothing else.  I can’t remember the last time I fell asleep without the T.V. blaring or a phone ringing.  Just a bed and a dresser are all I need. Why do I have all of these distractions?

My visit made me wish I were born 150 years ago.  I long for a simple bedroom and a quiet life.  I long for Sundays dedicated to church and picnics with family.  I long for no work on the holidays.  I long for no school during the summer.  I long for a time where everyone knew their neighbors and helped out with the children.  I long for a friendly time when people treasured good friends and time with their loved ones.  This is what I long for.

During the recent power outages this summer, I learned to love the dark.  As my family sat at the table, talking and laughing over the candlelight, my daughter said to us, “I wish the power would go out more often.  This is the first time I’ve been able to sit and talk with you all without any interruptions.”  When she said that, something clicked in my head.  Why do we feel the need to constantly check our emails? Why must we always answer our calls immediately? Texting during dinner, really?

Since that day, I have learned to turn off the phone during our family dinners.  I limit my time on the computer.  Most importantly, I am sure to make time each day to just sit with my family.  This is what I truly longed for during my trip through that old house in Greenfield Village.  I longed for uninterrupted attention from my family and some much needed quiet time. With all of the new technology, we are never “unavailable.”  This means we must make a huge effort to remove ourselves from these elements in an attempt for a more simpler, relaxed life.

“As lousy as things are now, tomorrow they will be somebody’s good old days.” Gerald Barzan

Author: Rhonda Gutierrez

Graphics by: Salvador Cid III