The Simple Things

My daughter's third grade class took a trip to Historic Brattonsville to spend the day learning and pretending to be students in a one room school house in 1840.  They used real slate boards and graphite pencils and learned to quill with a feather dipped in ink.  You might recall seeing this lovely little town in the film, "The Patriot" with Mel Gibson and Heath Ledger.

She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks. ~Proverbs 31:17

 It is surreal to think of all the gadgets we have at our fingertips, so that we don't have to lift a finger!  I wonder what our forefathers would think of us today.  Would they be impressed or think we are lazy?  Can you imagine what our ancestors would think about a car with heat, heated seats, a radio and a TV...and with many vehicles today, you can turn on any of this with the click of a button! 

I don't think most Americans can imagine what it was like to live in a one room house with no heat, no central air, no hot water, no bathroom (or 'privy' as it was called) inside the house, no phone, certainly no television, and no computer...or even a car.

I wonder...have we gained so much with all the advances in technology or have we really lost so much?

I spent the day with these third graders and I had the best time!  No technology was used that day...just a good ol' chalk board and the light streaming in the little school house from outside.  The meal was simple with nothing to 'recycle' because napkins and baskets were reused after lunch.  My favorite part of the day was recess when the children played with various wooden toys that were popular during that period.  It was fun to watch the children learn something 'new' that was really very old!  I enjoyed watching them use their imaginations and their hands to figure out these new-old games.

Life was simple then. 

I have friends who have a 'blackout' once a month with their children.  They turn off the power, cook by fire, light candles and tell stories, play games or read.  She says that it is amazing how slow the time passes and that these are some of her most precious moments with her three boys.  How wonderful it would be to spend the evening with those that we love the most without any distractions!  I am determined to try this!

As Thanksgiving approaches, I am thankful for all the 'luxuries' we have today.  But, it is not these things that I am most grateful.  I am sure that many would agree, whether we live during 1840 or 2010, we are most thankful for those around us...our family. 

Etch out those quiet moments for your family this holiday season!  Maybe turn off the lights, the TV, computer and phones.   The 'simple life' sounds so appealing!

 Does anyone remember Dr. Bratton's home from the movie?

This is the one room school house we used for the day!

My daughter practices quilling.

The children were encouraged to dress like they lived during 1840.  This little girl really looked the part!  She is playing one of the games popular during that time.

A simple meal consisted of a ham biscuit, an apple, a pickle and a cracker.  No processed food or paper products here!  It really made me think of how much I waste and what I eat from a package.

This looks like the original fence to me!

Note: I was discussing my trip with a friend and she mentioned that on their field trip to Brattonsville, one of the guides was showing some of the daily chores that took place during the 1840 time period.  The guide asked if any of the children did chores at home and not one child raised his/her hand.  I think we better put down 'technology' and teach our children to work!  Simple chores can teach them responsibility and how to manage money. 

I better get busy!