The home quickly reveals almost everything about a person and a family.
Sometimes there were “tours” if I was that new and green to a community or if the host had a hobby that they thought I might be interested in. Sometimes there were refreshments and I could easily tell if my cake or cookies were being served on the pet's plate by the way they were keeping a very sharp eye on me.
I could also tell if the home was a place where there was thinking and discussion. A lot of that had to do with the arrangement of the furniture. If every piece of furniture was arranged so that it angled toward the TV, then I guess one way. If there were deliberately arranged conversation areas, then things might be different.
Bookshelves, if there were any, gave additional clues. If the shelves were cluttered with knick-knacks and obviously dusted, then the books were probably seldom read. If they were arranged purely for color and symmetry, that was another clue that they might have been read once, treasured and put away for future use, if they fit the décor. Content - looking books or content books - that was a special exercize in observation. Had they bought a thinking books since college? Were they just thinking about what would make a good meal next Thursday evening?
Photographs, the biggest clue, were my favorite thing to view. If the most recent pictures had color going away, I could bet that there was a camera in a closet with 3 Christmases and 5 birthdays on a 24 count roll of film – waiting to use the last frame without “wasting” it.
For all their popularity, I hated the development of the La-Z-Boy as much as I hated the introduction of bucket seats in automobiles. The single-seat chair separated the sitter from everyone else. Something was really lost when folk no longer spent time together cuddled on a couch, talking about their day or just relaxing in each others' arms. I looked at the couches to see if they had a saggy spot from such precious social time and it was rare to see it. I loved seeing the Naugahyde couches covered in vinyl. If you moved off of those things on a hot day, your hide would just stay put! Even more rare was to see a grandly proportioned couch, loaded with afghans and obviously the place where the whole family piled together.
A lot of people dusted off their Bibles for display and that didn't count for much. I looked for the ones with duck (that IS the original name!) tape on the binding.
I looked for notes and photos on the refrigerator.
Sometimes it was easy to see and feel the love. People would sometimes tell me about the trials and heartache they had overcome or about the things that were tearing at them right then.
I have been in every kind of home you could imagine. Houses so bare and poor that wind would cut through the floor and pierce the walls and ceiling, carrying with it the precious little heat generated by the undersized Warm Morning stove. I have been in castles and mansions. (“Mansion”, by the way, is a French derivative for any old house that was fortunate enough to have windows.)
The art in any home is another treat. Many homes have a piece or two of religious art (The Virgin, Jesus and Elvis). Some have reproductions of famous paintings or prints of famous photographs. A few people have original artwork or have created their own to mark special feelings or to make statements about life.
Home then, for me, is a place of meeting or hearts and minds. It is a place of safely sharing and refreshing, healing, rest, retreat and renewal.
Many years ago I was taking photographs for our 8th edition of The Insiders' Guide and was in Old Salem, North Carolina. I came upon a prayer in German and worked to translate it.
I set the “Blessing” to paper and now there of copies of this piece on most of the world's continents. Yep, printed and framed copies are for sale. I did the little blackletter form in the early 80's. Many people reading this can do a better job - so do it.
The blessing reads: Bless our home Father, that we may cherish the bread before there is none; Discover each other before we leave; and enjoy each other while we still have time.
This is some worthy calligraphy homework.
It is certainly worth applying in each and every home.
© Tim http://www.timjohnsonphoto.com/
