When you buy things used, do you wonder about the people who owned them before?
By Leca
@lecanis (16647)
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
July 30, 2007 8:33am CST
I got this idea because of books, because in another discussion I said I loved getting books that had been highlighted or had notes in them, because then I got the chance to wonder about the person who owned the book before, and why they chose certain peices to highlight.
Thinking about it, I realize that I always wonder about the people who owned things before me when I buy secondhand. Did someone wear this sweater to work or to parties? Where has this bicycle been before I rode it? Was it the person's main source of transportation, or a hobby? What kind of baby wore my son's clothes before, how old are they now, and what did they learn while they were wearing that outfit? What kind of parents did they have?
Houses do that to me even more. Even when I enter a friend's house, I find myself thinking about all the people that could have lived there before, what their lives had been like. I wonder about the people that rented my apartment before, and how long ago this house we live in was split off into apartments. Were people happy here? Since the most recent tenants were probably students, did they graduate or drop out or just move?
Does anyone else do this, or am I just crazy?
7 people like this
21 responses
@sunshinecup (7871)
•
30 Jul 07
Oh yes I do that as well, kind of if these things could talk what kind of stories would they tell. I wonder what the person who own them was like, what did they think about it, on an on. I love wondering about things like that, it's kind of fun to do IMO.
3 people like this
@lecanis (16647)
• Murfreesboro, Tennessee
30 Jul 07
Me too! When I was a little kid I used to go into antique shops with a notebook and write little stories about different pieces, like where they had been before and what their owners did and how they wound up there. I won a writing contest with one of those stories. =p
Glad to know I'm not alone in my interest in such things. =)
2 people like this
@Perspectives (7131)
• Canada
3 Aug 07
Well if you are crazy...then so I am I. However, I don't mind falling under the 'crazy' catagory when I have seen the number of 'normal' people that strike me as really weird. Anyway, I love this topic because I am the queen of thrift stores. I absolutely love poking around in seconds stores because it fits with my recyle, reuse world view. And yes, I always wonder about the 'history' of any item that is not new.
As an energy worker living with an energy based view of the world I often take the wondering one step further. Before bringing things into our home I do my best to hold it and see if it is giving off a positive or negative 'charge.' Sometimes I have been drawn to an object or item of clothing that looks appealing but when I pick it up something about where ever it came from feels 'off' and I put it down.
In some spiritual teachings the ability to pick up on energies of previously held items is called psychomotry. There are many gifted mediums I have known that can 'read' an item and actually disclose its history and tell some of the circumstances around it.
So I think you are absolutely sane and normal in wondering about energetic imprints contained within homes, apartments, collectibles and clothing. We are all energy/spiritual beings going through human experiences and I totally believe the 'echos' of the previous owners are there even if we are not sensitive enough to pick up on it. I think most people at one time or another have entered a place and 'felt' that it is either a happy, serene space or perhaps a little creepy without knowing why.
@lecanis (16647)
• Murfreesboro, Tennessee
3 Aug 07
Well, I usually tend not to talk about such spiritual things immediately because I want to meet lots of different kinds of people, and I know a lot of people would have shied away from my post had I started out talking about the spiritual energies of things. But, yes, I also check how something "feels" before I buy it. I'll sometimes put something back that I really wanted or thought was neat just because I'm getting a bad feeling from it, as if it had negative energy attached to it. So we have that in common. =)
There was once a very pretty necklace that a girlfriend bought me at an antique shop that was very pretty, and I let her put it around my neck, and suddenly I felt as if I were being smothered. That one I certainly didn't keep very long. We tried cleansing rituals, and nothing seemed to help. We didn't want to sell it, because then someone else would just wind up with the problem, so it wound up getting buried in a small box made of onyx. =P
1 person likes this
@Perspectives (7131)
• Canada
5 Aug 07
What a very honoring, responsible thing to do. I agree with you about not passing things on when they have a strange vibe. Sometimes others may be drawn to it on a 'surface' level and then end up wish something negative happening without knowing why.
I am very much into space and energy clearnings as well. My hubby and I aligned energies in our home after we moved into it. The woman who lived here before had cancer...and we did major cleansing and purification ceremonies when we moved in. We have also applied principles of Fung Shui to every nook and crznny of our home and garden...and it made a dramtatic difference. I wrote an article on "How We Rescued Our Fung Shui Challenged House." Others who have used this ancient Chinese Art of Placement have found similar results.
So you see...there are a lot of us out there who may not initially come forward with our energy based framework...but we are out there. Takes one to know one right?LOL
@navtech (1773)
• India
31 Jul 07
Dear lecanis, In my family nobody wears second hand cloth. Therefore I cannot answer your discussion. As far as a rented house is concerned, before shifting to a rented apartment/house we used to ask the landlord as to who was staying prior to our shifting. If he is good landlord he used to give information on that question otherwise, he would say it is none of your bussiness. I used to think often about my bi-cycles. I always purchase brand new bi-cycle for my use. I lost 5 brand new bi-cycles. I used to often wonder who rides my bi-cycle right now. I love bi-cycles.
1 person likes this
@teapotmommommerced (10359)
• United States
1 Aug 07
If the walls could talk? I often wonder who lived in the house I use to live in or who drove my car before I had it and where did the car go. The latest thing I have been wondering was who has Abigail's parents and did they treat her well?
Abigail is my cat I adopeted from Pets Mart three months ago. She had such a hard time getting to learn to trust me, now she is my cat and I am her parent. She has s scar on her lip that goes on a down her jaw and her one eye does not open all the way and the tip on one ear is cut off. The vet thinks her ear was cut off due to being spayed. The ferral spayed and neuter prgram for cats in our area was doing free spay and neutering of cats when they would do a cat they would cut the tip of the cat's ear off to let them know the cat was done already. Now what happened to Abigail with regards to her lip and her eye I do not know. She is now my girl, she is my lover girl who does lots of silly things.
When we were looking to buy a home we looked at this hyome, I walked in this home and felt like it gave me a hug. I felt like we needed to live here. I love this home. I have felt confortable since the time we have moved in. I can tell you this has not always been this way with homes we have lived in. I am at home and want to stay here until we no longer can live by ourselves. LOL
@lecanis (16647)
• Murfreesboro, Tennessee
2 Aug 07
Thanks for sharing teapot!
That's one I hadn't thought of, who had your pet's parents? Thanks for sharing your story about Abigail, and I think it's awesome taht you adopted her. I know so many people who wouldn't have adopted a pet with such injuries, so I think it's really great that you saw past them and love her. =)
I think it's great that you feel that way about your home! I hope to find one I can feel that way about someday! =)
@lexus54 (3572)
• Singapore
31 Jul 07
If I were to buy used things, I would wonder too. But usually, I only buy new stuff. The only thing I have bought secondhand was one of my previous cars, because cars are expensive here. I remember I bought a 3-year old car, and the odometer already showed 92,000 Km travelled. For this place, this mileage was pretty high. It made me wonder what the previous owner used the car for. Was he living in the east part of the island and travelled to the other end each day? Did he often drive out of the country for work or holiday, that took him to places more than 500 Km away? The car looked in pretty good condition, so it gave me the impression the owner took great care of his car.
1 person likes this
@lecanis (16647)
• Murfreesboro, Tennessee
2 Aug 07
Wow, I can't imagine buying everything new! There are so many times that I've needed something and not been able to afford to buy it new! Especially when I changed jobs and needed a whole new wardrobe because I needed to be able to dress up, there's no way I could have done that buying everything new.
Thanks for sharing your story about your car! Those are all interesting questions!
@Amstardam (1348)
• United States
31 Jul 07
I think it totally depends on what it is! A car, maybe but I guess I've never really thought about it. Maybe some toys that my mother in law bought for my son at goodwill.
I had a friend who bought used beds from garage sales! I don't think I would ever want to think about the people who used to own that bed, lol! Although I wouldn't buy a used bed...that's a big no-no.
1 person likes this
@cloudwatcher (6861)
• Australia
30 Jul 07
Well, lecanis, you'd like my books. I'm afraid many of my books (I don't read novels: only study books) have more written in the margins than printed matter! I have a wide margin Bible and the margins are really crammed. I used to like getting a new Bible every year or two, so that I can start again, but wide margin Bibles are quite expensive and often hard to come by now. I guess reading my notes in my books would tell you a lot about me.
Apart from books, I don't have anything else second hand, so I can't really relate to the rest. However, especially when driving at night, seeing myriads of lights of the houses dotted along the way, I often wonder how most people spend their lives. The same thing happens with the crowds of people passing in a shopping mall. Some seem very tired and/or unhappy. Some seem to have physical burdens. Some are arguing with their companions, while are are chatting merrily. Some respond to a smile while others just glare.
No, I don't think it is crazy or even intrusive. It is merely human nature.
@Julia3269 (217)
• United States
31 Jul 07
I do that too. One item in particular was an old book on gardening. I envisioned an older lady (maybe somebody like Aunt Bee from The Andy Griffith Show) carefully tending her garden using the advice from the book to make her flowers more beautiful.
On the darker side, I also envisioned her ruthless grandchildren who didn't give a hoot about tender memories, and gutted her house to make a buck at a yard sale.
Julia ;)
1 person likes this
@tdbrower1969 (1242)
• United States
31 Jul 07
I do this, too, especially if I find something that is really magnificent and someone is now getting rid of it. I found a really neat hand made table that looks quite old, and I have always wondered who made it and when and how many other people have owned it. I don't do it too much with clothing, but I also do it with books and jewelry.
1 person likes this
@buzzmonster (250)
• Australia
31 Jul 07
I used to think about this all the time, but have stopped, so that i don't go insane!
It's interesting to wonder these kind of things, but sometimes people just sell stuff because they want to upgrade!
1 person likes this
@lecanis (16647)
• Murfreesboro, Tennessee
2 Aug 07
*laughs* I suppose there can be too much of a good thing. I don't think it'll drive me insane though, rather it's just one more reason why I'm never really bored. =P
It is true that sometimes people sell stuff just to upgrade. But that's no fun to think about! Actually, wait, it could be, because then you could wonder if the whole family wanted to get rid of the item or if there was someone who wanted to keep it because of sentimental reasons?
@Sushicook (690)
• Sweden
30 Jul 07
I am the same way! That's one of the reasons why I love second hand and hand me downs. Old things have more of a story to them then new things, and it feels more of a challenge to make them your own. For instance, I have inherited an old leather jacket from my grandfather, that he had when he was my age. It's over 50 years old, quite worn down but I love it to bits.
I also live in an old building that used to house nurses and doctors for a nearby hospital. It has a different feeling, and you wonder who lived here before and what they are doing now.
1 person likes this
@soulsister_16 (738)
• Switzerland
30 Jul 07
It depends upon the object.
If it's a book, I don't really mind a few highlights here in there. In fact, I quite enjoy reading dedications and random notes on some of the pages of the book.
Clothes, on the other hand, is another matter. Even if it can be washed anyway, I can't help but think of the person/s who owned it before me.
1 person likes this
@yuanjinliang (3)
• China
31 Jul 07
I agree you opinion in some degree.For the secondhand books,I can get some useful information.For example,I can understand some questions that I can't understand without their comment.
1 person likes this
@karmendra (1123)
• India
30 Jul 07
during my childhood i did like you, spacial y for (books comics), but not now its happens. i think you are doing this because of you are thinking very much about any think , that i can guess. thats why you write beautifully. i think you are a writer, and a big thinker. it is also happens because off secondhand things. you are not crazy man, its the nature of human beings.
1 person likes this
@yanjiaren (9031)
•
6 Aug 07
I think this is quite normal..Curiosity is always a part of our human nature. I also wonder about the people that lived in a house that I have just moved into..It's quite a natural reaction isn't it? I don't feel so much about second hand clothes thoughy, mainly about houses..I don't quite know why lol.
@byfaithonly (10698)
• United States
19 Aug 07
Well, if your crazy then so am I - do the same thing and even will make up stories about the people I imagine owned the item before me. Sometimes with books though I've found it hard to read 'used' books because I spend as much time making up my previous owner as I do actually reading the book.
@chen463344628 (145)
• China
31 Jul 07
yes i will care about the people who owned them before
1 person likes this