Source: Pinterest
Decay... I don't know why I've always been so strongly drawn to and Mezmerized by it? I can't remember ever passing by an Old Decaying Building and not Secretly longing to go inside and Explore it... or even often wanting to Possess it! And sometimes I have! *Winks* Ever not finding it Hauntingly Beautiful and somehow Perfect in it's Decrepid and Decaying state of Being even if others were repulsed by such a Condition or considered it an Eyesore and wanting it torn down rather than allowing Nature to continue to Reclaim it and allow a Beautiful Ruin to just Exist.
Source: Pinterest
And yet, there would be that other part of me that wanted to Restore it, at least partly and functionally, to it's original Grandeur, whatever that might have been or however possible... or even insanely impossible by anyone's standards?!? *Smiles* I would be that person that wouldn't mind living in a Beautiful Ruin so long as it was safe and could be made functional... though I wouldn't expect anyone to want to Share in that quirky Adventure of Surreal Living and the Challenges it would obviously Impose. *LOL* Well... that's not entirely True since when we Purchased this Old House it had been long Abandoned and Condemned... and in such a state of Benign Neglect that it took Visionary Eyes of Faith and a heavy dose of Incurable Optimism to see what it COULD be. And which took Years and a Labor of Love to Restore to Functionality and Presentability while we Roughed It as a Family to turn a Diamond in the Rough back to a Home that others would come to Admire and Appreciate again! I owe The Man and The Son my Eternal Gratitude for allowing me to bring them along on the Journey and often difficult Process even though it seemed absolute Madness from it's Inception over Fifteen Years ago! *Smiles*
Source: Pinterest
The Abandonment of something that was Beautiful or Grand always makes me Wonder about the Back End Story of WHY? And a strange affinity for the Place. How could the last Occupant just walk away... or did they? Did they just pass on from Time into Eternity and there were no Future Occupants to Inherit or Care about such Places? If the building were Commercial or Industrial rather than Residential or Agricultural... what happened that it could no longer serve Purpose and just be Vacated for so long? If it is a Residence then why isn't it being Rescued by someone who can Envision what it COULD be and be up to the Challenge... and why don't Communities all Support such Efforts to get involved in Preservation Measures so that History isn't Lost or Destroyed and devalued? I just Love when some Visionary brings such a Space back to Life and Purpose again... especially if they Preserve some of the Age and Character Imparted by the Natural Decay Process! I'm deeply Saddened when any Old Building is razed... I just am... even if it has reached the Point of no Return... and don't get me wrong, I 'Get' the Economic Realities of why perhaps it was necessary in some cases. But sometimes there was no necessity or reason and that's just Tragic to me.
Source: Photography by David Creedon ~ Pinterest
I know that though Decay is repulsive to many, there are others who share my Sentiments and Fascination with it. With the advent of Blogs and Pinterest I've discovered many of these Kindred Spirits and no longer feel so odd about my Mysterious Obsession and Attraction with and to the Beauty of Decay and why I find it Appealing and even Preferable! I could sit and look at a Vignette such as this and be more Inspired by, Attracted to and Comfortable with it than something Pristine and meticulously Maintained and fixed up. Yes, I suppose that could be Perceived as more than a bit Weird and not easily Explained, but it is what it is and who knows Why exactly that for some of us, this is a Thing of Beauty and Idyllic in our Eyes?
Source: Pinterest
Or how I could Adequately Explain why stumbling upon a place like this would be more Welcoming, Exciting, Inviting and Restorative to my Soul to spend time in and at, than Lodging in a five star Hotel at some popular Resort with all the Comforts and Ammenities you could Imagine? I would be more Excited and my Heart more aflutter to Wander the Rooms and Property of such a Place as this and Explore it, than I would to Tour or behold some of the most Exquisite of Mansions or Architectural Marvels of the World that have been perfectly Preserved and Restored... though it would make me Happy that they had been. I'm not against Preservation, I strongly Support it... but Ruins also have a Place for me and a Heartfelt Appreciation even if they will never be brought back... I just prefer that they be allowed to Exist and just 'Be'.
Source: Pinterest ~ Boro Mending Japan
It can be difficult to try to Explain why even heavily mended and Worn Wardrobe Appeals to me more than something brand spanking New? Because it isn't just Places of Divine Decay that I find to be Preferable... it is Decay and Damage in many other Forms that make something Perfectly Imperfect far more Interesting and holding a Story worth Telling. Even if only on the Canvas of our Imaginations if there is nobody that Remembers what that real Story was or is around to Tell it and so it is long Forgotten. Mending, even a bad Mending or Repair Imparts to me that something is or was well Loved and somebody at least Tried and wanted to Keep it and Use it. Or that it meant something Special to them... or they were at the forefront of Recycling and Going Green before the current Trend to either by Choice or Necessity. I cannot Imagine very much when something is too New I suppose, the Story is just too close to the Beginning and self Evident... and so I don't really want or even need to know more and I'm not Intrigued.
Source: Pinterest
I know that I'd much rather hear her Story than the Stories of someone who hasn't Experienced as much and hasn't Lived as long. I just know that her Story would Interest, Entertain and Fascinate me so much more because it would come from a Time, Perspective and Place that only a Privileged few could Recall since Old Age is a Privilege not afforded to many. That the Wisdom Imparted from The Elders is Priceless and worthy of being Preserved for the Benefit of Future Generations if they would but Listen and Value it for the Gift that it is and continue to Pay It Forward for Years to come! I also Love that the Beauty of Age has been allowed to Shine Through the Face of this Lovely Woman so Radiantly... I Hope to Age as Gracefully and Beautifully as this if given the Privilege and Time to!!!
Blessings from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian