Oldest, best thing: guest post!
by Michael, Max, and Elizabeth
My friends Michael, Max, and Elizabeth tried out our oldest, best thing exercise and sent in these great interviews. I don’t get to see them very often because they live in El Monte, California. Some things to know about this family: Michael is one of my favorite writers, and Elizabeth is a social worker. Max, their son, is 5 years old. His grandparents all live in his town, and he has so many extended family members in Southern California that birthday parties (in normal years) are large affairs! They also have family in Jalisco and Chihuahua.
And they send the best holiday cards—in 2019 they were dressed as (three of) the Ramones, and last year they had an E.T. theme (perfect for the pandemic). Take it away, Michael, Max, and Elizabeth…
Michael & Max
Michael: Tell me about your oldest, best thing.
Max: Chicky!
Michael: Who's Chicky?
Max: He's this old chick that came in an egg. Someone gave it to me and I don't know who that was.
Michael: We don't remember? It was that long ago?
Max: Yeah. When I first saw him, I was like "Hmm... What is this?" And then he told me his story about how he got all the way over here.
Michael: How did he get over here?
Max: Well, first he came in an egg. Chicks always come in eggs.
Michael: Maybe we should describe Chicky because people probably won't know him. Is he a buddy? Is he a puppet? What is he? ["Buddy" is Max-speak for stuffed animal.]
Max [assumes Chicky's voice, which is higher pitched, a little nervous]: I'm kind of like a chick-puppet-buddy!
Michael: He's kind of a special one? He started as a puppet, but now he's a buddy?
Max [turns Chicky in midair and flies him around the room]: Whee!!!
Michael: What makes Chicky so special to you, Max?
Max: Well, he does do good things sometimes. ...And also bad things.
Michael: Let's talk about those bad things. Chicky is one of the buddies that always gets in trouble, right?
Max: YES. Sometimes he hits people. And sometimes he kicks people.
Michael: For such a little puppet-buddy, he sure gets into a lot of trouble. Why does he do those kinds of things?
Max: It's because he doesn't know stuff yet.
Michael: Oh! So you have to teach him to not do bad things?
Max: Yes! Like to not peck on my head! [Chicky pecks Max atop his head.]
Max & Michael
Max: So, what is your favorite, oldest best thing?
Michael: That would be this pair of cowboy boots.
Max: And where did you get them?
Michael: I'm not sure. I think your grandpa, or maybe your grandma, bought them in Mexico a long time ago when I was a little kid. They probably got them on a trip to Chihuahua at some point. Inside the boot, if you look, it says "Impacto."
Max: Wow! I see that inside this other boot! And why are these your favorite?
Michael: When I was little, I was fascinated with cowboys and I would wear these boots all over the place. As you can see, they've been worn a LOT! In fact, I think that they got re-soled, which means that the heel wore out and someone put a new one at some point.
Max: It looks like they're really old. What makes you love these boots?
Michael: They remind me of my family, especially family that's not around anymore or that we don't get to see very often. And they remind me of your Tía Nessa because she wore these boots too.
Max: And after that, what happened?
Michael: When I was older, I think your grandma was going to throw them out because they're kind of beat up, and I said no-no-no, I want to hold onto them. And they've been in my office ever since, for twenty-some years now.
Max: Whoa!
Michael: And then you were born! And every once in a while, I see you put them on.
Max: Yeah! Just to look like a cowboy every day!
Max & Elizabeth
Max: So, Mom, what's your oldest, best thing?
Elizabeth: It's a set of a pitcher and some mugs from Mexico
Max: Yes... And why do you love them?
Elizabeth: It's a set that belonged to my grandma and I inherited it from her after she passed away.
Max: And who made it?
Elizabeth: I don't know who made it, but I know that she got it from Mexico and she had it for a long time in her china cabinet so you could see it with all the other recuerdos she kept next to the dining table.
Max: And what else do you love about it?
Elizabeth: Well, I kind of keep it tucked away. I have the pitcher on one of our bookshelves to remind me of her. And I have the mugs in a cabinet in the kitchen for safekeeping throughout the year. For Christmas Eve, I take them out and that's what we serve the atole in for our family when they come over.
Max: Thanks for saying what your favorite, oldest, best thing is!
Elizabeth: You're welcome!
Thank you, Max, Michael, and Elizabeth!
FTT readers: We’re still curious to know if you have any “best things” that help you consume less new stuff. The cowboy boots, worn by Michael and his sister, and then by Max, seem like a good example—it’s harder to find shoes that can be resoled these days, but that’s a great example of something that reduces waste. Old cast-iron skillets are another reminder that many things get better with age… what about in your house?
Max, I love this post! Thank you for doing these interviews. My mom (Buttons) wants you to know that she loves Chicky! She also commented that he is "very small!" Do you ever lose Chicky? Or not know exactly where he is? Or are you able to keep him with you all the time? -Belle
My oldest, best thing is a stock pot I inherited from my great-grandmother — that's Beatrice's great-great grandmother. My father remembers that his grandmother used to make wonderful chicken and dumplings in it. These days, I usually use it to make lentil soup. It's the perfect size, and I love to think about how many wonderful, home-cooked meals it's made.
I've had the good fortune of inheriting many kitchen implements from both sides of my family. It makes me happy to use my nana's knives, cake tins and pie pans, or my great-aunt Helen's napkin holder — even her metal flour and sugar canisters that date back to the 1940s/1950s. The way I take care of my good, old things is to keep them clean and dry, but it's just as important not to get swayed by thinking that you have to replace old things just because they're old. Fancy, shiny new things might be pretty, but an old stock pot has love in it.