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| Alignment, please Montreal, QC July 2012 |
We live in a throwaway society, where we no longer even go through the motions of deciding whether something is worth fixing. Instead, we measure how long we've owned something against some arbitrary number corresponding to the number of years of expected service. Then we rationalize to ourselves that we've gotten decent enough value from it before we pack everything up and head out in search of a shiny new replacement bauble. Welcome to the endless upgrade treadmill.
I still think of the analog clock-radio - white with a black face - that sat in my parents' kitchen for virtually my entire childhood. It was old by the time I came along, but it nevertheless occupied the same rectangle of real estate on the counter for decades. Until it finally stopped working and we brought it to the appliance repair shop to be fixed. A few years later, it went silent again, except this time there were no appliance repair shops left.
The replacements never lasted more than give years, and they never imprinted themselves in my mind as that old analog one had. I hope a better fate awaits the sadly trounced bike above.
Your turn: This week's Thematic theme, broken, should make it easy to find inspiration, because we're surrounded by things that are long past their prime. Already, I'm lining up photos for the entire week, and I invite you to do the same. Just post a broken-themed pic to your blog - remember, how you interpret it is entirely up to you - then leave a comment here letting folks know where to find it. Feel free to participate as often as you wish through the entire week, and bring a friend if you wish, too. For more background on how Thematic works, just click here. Otherwise, enjoy!
That's one broken bicycle wheel! And you're right, how many of us have had repaired, or tried to repair, in the last decade: a television, a toaster, radio, washer or dryer, weed whacker or lawn mower?
ReplyDeletePart of the problem is technology. Computers, for example, by the time you need to fix it, it's become obsolete.
Anyway, here's my broken, I don't think it could have been repaired.
I've got no broken post (yet), but I have a fan anecdote. When I was a freshman in college, 1977, it was hot. I bought a metal fan from the coop.
ReplyDeleteThat fan still runs (and it has run constantly, 24-7, weeks at a time on occasion). I've bought other, fancier looking fans over the years. They're all broken.
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Thunder - my newest car is a 1978. Infinitely easier to fix than anything newer. I'm a big fan of stuff that was made before they were made to be thrown away.
ReplyDeleteOver the last couple months we have replace the water heater and hubby spent reveal days fixing a broken washer that the repairman would not attempt. I have also tossed a food chopper, snow cone maker and coffee pot that all choose the most inappropriate time to stop working.
ReplyDeleteBut, alas I did not think to photograph any of them. I have had to resort to a different kind of broken for this weeks challenge. My post is up and can be found here: http://cashjockysphotos.blogspot.com/2012/07/double-oops.html
Just looked round the garden for mine!
ReplyDeleteHere's a post on broken rules.
ReplyDeleteOops! I bet that hurt, poor bike!
ReplyDeleteNo broken bikes in mine...
http://twincitiesblather.blogspot.com/2012/07/thematic-photographic-205-broken.html
I have lots of pictures of broken things.
ReplyDeleteSS Great Britain again; broken but restored.
ReplyDeleteAnd I have another set of "broken" photos, with story.
ReplyDeleteOophs; my link wasn't broken - I just forgot to add it.
ReplyDeletehttp://bit.ly/QcyqaX
i've used this image before...but hey.
ReplyDeleteIt's broken!
Better late, than never, says I.
ReplyDeleteI've got an old wooden swing set (and some dragonfly blogging).
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Sometimes there is beauty in broken things.
ReplyDeleteOver the last couple months we have replace the water heater and hubby spent reveal days fixing a broken washer that the repairman would not attempt. I have also tossed a food chopper, snow cone maker and coffee pot that all choose the most inappropriate time to stop working. appliance repair hamilton
ReplyDeleteOver the last couple months we have replace the water heater and hubby spent reveal days fixing a broken washer that the repairman would not attempt. I have also tossed a food chopper, snow cone maker and coffee pot that all choose the
ReplyDelete