Antiquarian Sophistication of the "I" and the "Eye" Upon the "It" - Part Four - "Antik"

Antiquarian Sophistication of the "I" and the "Eye" Upon the "It"

Part Four

"Antik"

            “Antik”... be what I’s speaking of.  I speak of antiks, the interest in antiks

            And the history of the interest in antiks.  In old New England.  Be you sure?

            I have presented the folkway in the homes of old New England that murmurs the interest in the antiks in these homes from mouths of

            Old women. 

            Murmured oral utterance combined with ‘show’ and ‘see’.  From old women.

            No one listens to that

            And old women.

            It is not a murmur.  These old women mutter.  They are muttering about something.

            So what:  Ignore them.

            It is much harder to find... then I ever considered or expected... a “something” about what I just wrote of; ‘antiks’ and the ‘old way’ interest in those... in the old New England home... and...

            The peoples of that; the old women murmuring folkways and “men” who are the culprits of disturbance of the antiks in the old women’s homes; ;the ‘pickers... ‘picking’ the antiks and taking them away from the old homes.  Hard to find that... recorded

            Except, of course, from the murmur (mutterings) of the old women who are, remarkably, well versed... in and of... the intercourse with these ‘men’ titled pickers.  And the pickers, too... know the old women... “well versed”.  Yes:  It is a little world.  After all.  But again:  Hard to find recorded as are all folkways murmured by old women and practiced by visiting culprits.

            But I do ‘find things’ “recorded”.

            1881, and continuing in print for nearly two decades, appears a...

            It is not a children’s book.

            It is not a poem.

            It is not... a... but is called, in its title “A Story”

            “Of Old Time Memories”

            The main title is “Grandma’s Attic Treasures”.  The sophistication is subtle (Part Two) and the whole production; a pictorial and gilt nineteenth century decorated publisher’s cloth ...book... slips forever away.  I, the self aware “I”... I have denoted the book for, well... a quarter century and a decade longer too and...

            Do

            Report that no one ever... has ever... ever denoted this book before me

            In any way.  Yet it is a most splendid articulation of the current subject I treat; old women and their old things (“attic truck”) in the old New England home and how they sense... and come to sense (their ‘I’) this “attic truck” in a deeper way (study it).  Further, and away from the purpose of this essay... but none the less a splendid inclusion, is the accurate portrayal of the New England ‘antiks’ picker doing what they do (a character inclusion that is never titled ‘picker’).  That element is astonishingly accurate... to this day... but I don’t not treat it in detail here today.

            Sticking with the old woman... who wants a little money... and the old house that is full of her old “attic truck” (her title) the reader follows, in sentimental style, her approach by the pickers, the tour of the homestead, the consideration to sell the old truck and the single out of selections within this truck.  No specific detailing of the actual attic antik truck is ever given but the lightly sophisticated antiquarian ‘I’ and ‘eye’ have no problem racing along among the ‘antiks’... as with the pickers intentions and ... the old woman’s growing hesitations.

            ‘Growing hesitations’ are never restricting until after the ‘bargain’ is made and it is not until the “fast” working pickers have their wagon full, are off down the road with the homestead emptied out (sort of) that... this

            Old woman

            Wanders to a “what have I done”... to my family and myself.

            The dark hollow is that ...she... ‘sold it’ (family antiks) for money that is pittance (she buys herself a Sunday bonnet and shawl).  Through out all this is a blistering tears-in-eyes focus on one single table (a Colonial era New England made gate leg drop leaf dining table... It is never actually denoted as that) that came, served and went here and there throughout the old woman’s life to the antik apex of her... selling it off ... as attic truck.  Or no...

            It is NOT the antik apex... though she did sell it off... to the pickers.

            An inner ‘I’ with her ‘eye’ and the memory of ‘it’ (the table) then swoon as words on the page... until...

            UNTIL... all is world right again by the discovery that the very ...very old... old... antik table sold is FOUND TO BE ... collected... as an ‘Antik’... by the old woman’s fashion forward set, city slicker... GRANDDAUGHTER who purchased it (an antik) as an antik for her personal dressing room.  “Oh... oh... WONDERFUL Oh!”  The table, with grandmother’s “I know” verified identification of remembered wear and tear... combined the tears... saves and is saved by... the granddaughter’s want of ‘not new’ but ...

            “Old”

            Antiks.

            Within this... story... are all the murmurings (mutterings) of old women I purveyed as the leading characters in the old New England home origins of the ‘antiquarian sophistication of the ‘I’ and the ‘eye’ upon the ‘it’.  In this simple sentimental vignette, the reader, wiping their own tears, too... wish... wishes... that they may too ‘find’ such a table among their own family’s ...

            Attic Truck.

            Since my first encounter and ...my (over and over) cover to cover reading... of this book, I have self ‘I’ applied the sophistication of my ‘I’ and ‘eye’ to this same sort of setting (picker prowls old woman’s attic for ‘truck’) as a routine.  I see it laid bare before me really... ‘always’ by old New England women in their old New England homes.  It is a ...standard of excellence I ...may depend on...  Although little good that does when one must turn attic truck into... antiquarian gold.

            Or does it (this old New England home antik truck saga) turn to gold?

            Now-of-days... with the ‘not coming back’ ‘crashed market’ (Part Three) for old... attic truck “antiks” and the ‘that stuff should be sent back to the attic from where it came’ mixed commercial messaging actually has, for I and ‘I’, opened the door to the antiquarian old New England home and... invited me in like never before.  YOU ‘may to’.

            As the story tells, the old woman does not need to know much about ‘antiks’ to get to where she has a very royal appreciation of them AND their homestead place.  She, the ‘old woman’ follows her ‘I’ from there.  You may to... do just the same.

            I recommend you ... you (‘I’) stumble upon, in a befuddled self way ...a single... of an object of the folkway of the ‘its’ in the old New England home... and rescue it... presuming it is found forlorn... or ‘collect it’... presuming your stumble in is assisted by a ‘one who knows’.  Yes... that is right:  Just find something that is old in an old New England house... and pick it out... for your ‘I’, ‘eye’ and ‘it’... to start with.  It does not need to be a perfect object; a ‘fine antique’ or in ‘fine condition’.  Just get something that murmurs to you ‘antik’.  Bring it into your life and live with it.  I suggest a deeper ‘I’ than just ‘having it around’.  I do not rule out the notion of being obsessed with ‘it’.  That may be ... “nice”, “helpful”, “interesting”, “fun”, “pretty” in addition to opening self portals of art, history, heritage and “sense” that comes from a self sophisticating

            “Eye”.

            Of course, these days... such a raw step back into old New England... “may not take”.  You will find that out too; the ‘this is not for me’.  Then, dearest, donate your starter antik to thrift and head ‘home’ to the box store and its parking lot.  Get a shopping cart and go isle by isle ‘buying’ until you feel... well again.  When you drive by those stoic old New England “sea captain’s” homes on upper main street, divert your eyes like you used to... ‘get on with it’ (your life).  Never wonder what is ‘inside’ one of those ‘old houses...

            Like I do.

            It is easier and quicker to seek ‘assisted living’ with this old New England antik truck... “thing”.  Yes it is.  Finding a ‘someone who knows’ and ‘going in that way’ has benefits... but costs money.  Simplified, contacting a ‘someone who knows’ using the ‘they seem to be selling what I want’ works... and works very well... if one ‘buys in’.  When you see ‘it’; the ‘an it that speaks to you’, ask only a few stupid questions and

            BUY IT.

            Take the purchase home and live with it... preferably obsessively.  If your obsessive your sophisticating ‘I’ will travel rapidly along the ‘I’, ‘eye’ and ‘it’ pathway and, in most cases, be ready for ‘more’ ‘right along’.  Procuring more may be... now... that you have a ‘target’ done in a double sweep:  One may return to the ‘assisted living’... either the same or another ‘caught my eye’ facility... and ‘buy in’ again... and again.  AND:

            Now that you are ‘in the mix’ with this particular sort of object... one may foray into the wild wood of tag sales, auctions and thrift stores “HUNTING” for “THAT”.  This latter will be forlorn if ‘done alone’ but IF you keep a firm foot with your assisted living ... by continuing to actually regularly BUY SOMETHING... one will find that ‘support’ from that (assisted living) will come right along to you when you ‘need help’ and ‘want to know’ about an ‘it’ your ‘I’ denoted with your ‘eye’ and “BOUGHT” at a “YARD SALE”.  That way you

            “WILL FIND OUT”.

            But again:  Has all this really turned to gold?

            Yes it has.