Looking Back, Then Moving Ahead Better Than Before

"Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double."  -- Zachariah 9:12

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So. Over at Youtube I'm watching videos illustrating the bygone glory days of shopping malls. 

You remember malls, right? All those shops, those crowds, beneath one roof with inset speakers piping down Musack. You'd weave amongst humanity so to find that blouse from the sales flyer or that cd for your daughter's Christmas.

Perhaps you'd buy a coffee. Lunch. Watch varied styles of people ambling or power-walking by.

Well, while viewing those mall videos with crazy 80's hairstyles and baggy clothed-folks, I recalled later videos of scary, abandoned malls. How, all over, they've become the new ghost towns of our times.

Ends of eras, good ones, always sadden me and Honey, I've watched many eras crumble lately. How about you?

I'm one of those folks who, generally, prefer the way things were. Though yes, things that are, today, always become things that were, tomorrow. Technically, I should keep that in mind.

Well, after the third (or so) video I thought, "I wish we still had a local mall." But good gracious, we do! I'd just not visited there in probably 12+ years, which is telling. (Though Tom and I still drive past it oodles of times which makes me wonder about my head. Again.) ツ

Perhaps I'll drive over there this week. Or meh, probably not. Why? Because already I'm certain they don't carry what I want to see:

... the 80's and 90's hair and clothes styles

... the teenagers hanging-out in groups, laughing

... Linens and Things! Man, I miss that place.

... the un-tense, un-angry, unmasked people

... the prevalent carefree feeling hanging like a mist

... people enjoying their (taken for granted) freedoms

... the thinner, younger-life-stage, less-graying Debra

In short, the way Life used to be, especially before this past covid year. (Often we believe we're searching for a thing, an era, but in reality, it's feelings remembered.)

So what to do? Create something similar within my own home, return to my identity. And actually, on my yellow tablet paper Sunday night I wrote:

This week, return to the best of your original self. The creative, real you. She's been on vacation--not the good kind.

And now it's only Wednesday, but already I feel refreshed, as though I traveled away to sun and surf, but no! I simply returned to these interspersed amongst my housework, rather like homework assignments from Balance Class:

playing my 1960's and 70's records

reading humorous books

gathering leaves from flower beds

reading outside in the sunshine

'playing books' with those on my shelves

taking walks

rearranging trinkets on my upstairs' shelves

reading vintage homemaking books

following along with the book, Simple Abundance

organizing, decluttering

feeding the birds outside, etc.

How refreshing to become reaquainted with my younger, more creative, anticipatory-of-the-future self. To add her to the newer fighting adventurer of Today. 

Of course, it hugely helps that Spring-like weather returned this week, also. シ 

Okay, this has grown too long. 

Basically I'm finding happiness in recreating my own world because, wow, that other one out there? It's growing so opposite of the Bible and of the true me. With God's help I'm returning to a version of myself closer to the original and the supposed-to-be-here-now lady, looking ahead.

As much as I'm able. Within my own reach of this world. While I still can.

"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. "   ---Psalm 23:1

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly."  ---John 10:10

We are not helpless!

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The entryway to my home in Heaven? It's gonna look a wee bit like this--

Oh! I found another wonderful nostalgic Youtube channel. It's called Recollection Road. Each video is well-made and, yes, usually bittersweet, but they're great for not only remembering, but for learning the history of businesses most of us used to frequent back in the day.

Also, these reflect the way I felt when we moved to New York state in 1993. Life still felt so very old-fashioned back here.

Here are a few favorites:

Dairy Queen

Main Street 1950's

Diners of the 1950's

Marshall Field's

Howard Johnson's

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"Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour."   ---1 Peter 5:8,9

Please remember: My posts are ALWAYS about more than they appear to be.

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 "For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." ... Matthew 6:14,15