Saturday, January 22, 2011

picture this

my parents never hung pictures  on the walls  of their house when i was growing up. a few years ago they hung a few pictures in the dining room and maybe ten years ago they hung some up in the hallway upstairs near the bedrooms. until then the only pictures that were on the walls were in my bedroom or in my siblings bedrooms. when i was a kid my family moved into the house my mom still lives in . i remember asking my mom why we hadn't hung any pictures on the walls. i don't remember what her answer was.
every apartment  i have lived in i have adorned with pictures. to me it makes me feel more at home. this is odd  since my parents' home never had pictures hung on the walls . but it does.
i have always admired the family photos that lined the walls of other families homes. since ive lived on my own ive always had family photos on my apartment walls.
though my parents liked the house that we lived in they always wanted to move to another area of the city. though they were always looking to move they never did. perhaps this is why they never put up pictures until more recently.  maybe they never felt like it was really home so they never wanted to put up pictures. maybe i always want  a place to call home so i always hang pictures  on the walls of my dwelling.

5 comments:

FeistyFrummy said...

I know a lot of people who dont hang pictures as a sensitivity to guests who don't have a family or can't have children. It's a bit extreme, yes, but I do admire them for it.

frum single female said...

feisty frummy-
interesting thought. i think its a bit extreme though. in general i love seeing pictures of children and being included when my friends and family have events with their kids even though i do not have any. i suppose those who dont display pictures of their family in their homes are afraid of ayin hara.

FeistyFrummy said...

I guess it depends on what kind of guests you have over. But now that I think about it, typically most of the people who need a place to eat for shabbat are of the single variety etc...so I guess this sensitivity is pretty applicable. Though, personally, I agree with you. Seeing pictures of yourself everywhere does really make you feel at home...(in an egotistical, self-loving sort of way ;) )

frum single female said...

lol. i have photos of family on my apartment walls fiesty frummy! i dont have my walls covered with photos just of myself!! lol.

FeistyFrummy said...

Haha! Sorry, that came out so wrong! I meant that it feels good to see pictures of yourself in every family portrait, etc WITH other people. It makes you feel like you belong. LOL...if it were just you alone I'd say take them down...immediately! ;)