At Shorpy you can meet people who worked hard, built things, and died anonymously long before you and I entered the world scene. Shorpy knew the difference between a want and a need. Can you imagine telling him that you had a tough day at work?
The long forgotten faces at Shorpy would marvel at our technology, but they would never shell out a sawbuck for the latest gadget. I am sure that they would call us frivolous with our money.
- “Why do you have three TVs in your house when you can only watch one at a time?”
- “How can you afford to eat out at a restaurant more than once a year?”
- “A car with air conditioning? Roll down the window!”
- You should buy on layaway not credit.”
Shorpy was around before the McDonald’s sign said “100 served.” I suspect he would find our lifestyles in this century a bit lazy and irrelevant.
Look around your own house and I’m sure you will find many things that Shorpy would find inconceivable, amazing and frivolous. Share your find(s) with us by pressing the comment button below.
8 responses so far ↓
1 Swift // May 17, 2009 at 2:08 pm
As I look around the house after reading about the Shorpy, I see all and more that you talked about. Two tv’s with remotes. Microwave oven, dihswasher, electronic games and more. Now most of these things I rarely use. I wash my dishes by hand. I only use the microwave when in a rush, but I’m guilty on the second tv. But that’s how we live today. We do take everything for granted and the youth of today is a lazy generation. But as technology advances we are only prone to get lazier. So what do we do?
2 Sarah Chavez // May 18, 2009 at 1:58 pm
Those are truly amazing images. I particularly like the one with all of the young coal/oiler crew. His facial expression and posture is so emotionally evocative. You can really feel just how hard daily life was for all of them, and the lengths to which they went just to help their families survive. I don’t know what I have in my house (my HOUSE, for example!) that Shorpy wouldn’t be incredulous about! An electric stove, a refrigerator, multiple cabinets full of canned and dry goods, a car in the driveway, closets with more than enough clothing for different outfits for a week. Those are the immediate thoughts which spring to mind when I think on this subject. Thank you for the reminder to be grateful!
3 Brooke Holland // May 18, 2009 at 4:55 pm
Wow, this really does make you think how much we take things for granted. Here I am sitting and complaining that my house stinks because to garbage disposal isn’t working…its ridiculous really..how spoiled we are… as I sit here typing on a brand new computer and watching a flat screen TV. I can’t imagine what Shorpy would say to me. My grandparents even give me a hard time about how spoiled people are today. Its true, so very true…yet no one cares and continues on with the next best thing.
4 Carol Watson // May 18, 2009 at 6:16 pm
I feel really sorry for this little guy. If Shorpy were still alive I would let him come to my house and sit on my couch and watch television in the air condition and after he showered with soap and shampoo and conditioner, I would give him some clean clothes while I washed his old dirty ones with my fancy washer and dryer that he envies and wishes his mother had, I would make him a hot dinner on clean dishes on my super cool stove. All I know is, I sure am glad I’m not Shorpy.
5 Kim Wypasek // May 18, 2009 at 6:19 pm
The 3 computers that are in my living room at any given time seem a bit excessive, but how else would I entertain myself….cable?! My cat’s daily feedings average out to about $6. I sometimes do not spend that on myself for food in a day! Although, I do buy $9 tiny blocks of cheese weekly and $3.64 coffees every day(sometimes twice daily). Yeah, I could learn a bit from poor little Shorpy.
6 Katie Ives // May 21, 2009 at 1:52 pm
I love how I’m complaining right now about walking my clothes to the club house to use their laundry facility, filled with 20 washer and dryers, just because my washer decided not to work anymore.
Also, we were looking at apartments today and one of the apartments that was a one bedroom had a stand up shower and then a bath with a shower in it right next to the other. Apparently they had to much room in the bathroom and they didn’t know what to do with the room so they just added an extra shower for the ghost that lives in each apartment.
7 Robyn Lehman // May 25, 2009 at 11:39 pm
I think about this everyday and can not imagine living with out all the luxuries of today.
What would I do if I couldn’t call my boyfriend on my 3in x 5in MOBILE phone and ask him to have my kitten purr into it!
My 96 year old grandmother says that people were happier without the technology of today (atleast she says she was) She looked forward to going out and playing with her friends after school while kids of today look forward to going home and playing video games on there flat screen tv’s.
People compete to see who can afford to buy the biggest TV! As I see it people don’t base wealth on how much money you have or on how hard you worked to make it but on how much stuff you have and is it expensive enough. Do you have a Sony flat screen TV or a Vizio? Do you have drive a BMW or a Toyota?
Technology and image are one in the same and the people producing it are just thinking of ways to get us next!
8 John A // May 28, 2009 at 6:27 pm
John,
The key to your comment is the difference between a want and a need. That’s what we have forgotten in this age of available credit, instant gratification, and desire for the latest widget, even though the current widget is not broken, much less worn out.
Both my parents and my wife’s parents lived through the ‘Great Depression’. Their take on hard work, saving for the future, and even saving that shirt or, heaven forbid, darning socks (who does THAT now?) is very different than my generation or my children’s generation.
Thanks for the reminder of what is important.