Forgotten Wisdom

by Paul Birkhead  Rowan Public Library

      Do you know how to sew a button on a shirt?  Can you zest a lemon or fold a fitted sheet?  Are you willing and able to step up and change a flat tire for a stranger?  For some, these are skills that they’ve possessed since growing up.  For others, they’ve never been taught basic resourcefulness that will help them in their everyday lives.  Fortunately, Rowan Public Library has material that can impart some of this forgotten wisdom on those of us who need it.
      If you are of a certain age, you may remember taking ‘Home Ec’ or metal/wood shop classes in high school.  Regrettably, these classes were defunded over the past few decades once technology took hold.  While some viewed them as too costly or ‘old-fashioned’, these classes did manage to instill a lot of wisdom in our society that we now realize we no longer possess.  The Useful Book: 201 Life Skills They Used to Teach in Home Ec and Shop by Sharon and David Bowers is a good manual for picking up some neglected knowledge.  There are sections in the book on how to tackle cooking, sewing, domestic arts, life skills, as well as plumbing and electrical repair.  I found the pages that showed how to rewire a lamp interesting because I have discarded a few over the years that I’m now sure could have been saved quite easily.
      In the past, teaching handiness and know-how not only was the responsibility of public schools, it was a family affair as well.  Two books that the library has on its shelves describe the many skills that were passed down from one generation to the next.  How to Build a Fire: And Other Handy Things Your Grandfather Knew by Erin Bried shares over one hundred how-to tips.  These include how to break in a baseball mitt, bait a hook, and tie a perfect tie.  Of course, grandma knew a lot of things as well and these are detailed in Bried’s other book, How to Sew a Button: And Other Nifty Things Your Grandmother Knew.  Reading how to make your own jam, roll out a piecrust, and clean without harsh chemicals might just make you nostalgic for days of yore.
      Speaking of nostalgia, The Foxfire Book of Simple Living: Celebrating Fifty Years of Listenin', Laughin', and Learnin' has just recently been published.  I’m sure many have heard of the Foxfire series, but for those who have not, Foxfire is an organization that preserves and promotes the Appalachian way of living.  Volumes have been published over the years that share mountain anecdotes and history and teach skills such as basket weaving and soap making.  If you enjoy learning about folk tales and folk art, then this book is for you.
      Another book series has an anniversary this year.  The Old Farmer’s Almanac is celebrating 225 years with the publication of its 2017 edition.  Inside the book, you’ll find a lot of interesting things including long-term weather forecasts.  The accuracy of those forecasts is debatable, but some farmers swear by them and plant their crops accordingly.  What might be more helpful and enjoyable to others are the short articles throughout the book that dispense humor, historical tidbits and practical wisdom.
      Whether you’re 9 or 99, it’s never too early or too late to learn things; especially skills that will assist you in day to day living.  Rowan Public Library is a strong advocate of lifelong learning and is proud to offer you tools to help you gain wisdom.