the meaning of things

One of my favorite things to do is read. Curling up with a good book in my favorite chair, sipping on coffee or tea, for me, there really is nothing better. A piece of literature that I greatly admire and love is Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. Not only in this classic an edge of your seat drama, but it's also filled with downright inspiring prose.
When I first read the book in my early 20s, I read it aloud with my boyfriend. There was a quote that struck us both at the time, and has stuck with me ever since. The scene is as follows: our protagonist is sitting on a bench talking with a man he's just recently met having a conversations of sorts, soon the man says to him:

"I don't talk things, sir," "I talk the meaning of things. I sit here and know I'm alive." 

This one piece of writing has inspired me so much over the years, and has reminded me of why I do what I do, for the meaning of things.
I may be taking some liberties with the quote, but to me; articles, collections and things have meaning. This is why I buy, wear and sell vintage clothing. That is why you can often find me rummaging through yard sales, flea markets and roaming through antique malls. I love things, materialistic? perhaps, but to me there is much more to it than that.

There's a reason when people come into the shop that I work for to sell clothing, that they almost always tell me the stories behind each item. "These shoes I bought in Zurich..." a woman says, "I wore them out dancing, I tried to never wear them in the rain" she says as she passes them over the counter. Or "This dress was my grandmothers, she wore it to a formal in 1952"

I love to hear the stories behind the things and the meaning that they still hold. You can't buy that off the rack, you just can't. 


Which brings me to the reason why i'm writing this. I'm inspired to begin a new project here at Mamushka Marie, where I will be showcasing my vintage finds as well as items that people bring into the shop and give you the history and meaning behind them. If I don't know it I may create a story behind it, giving the piece of clothing or pair of shoes meaning once more. I look forward to your feedback on this project, and please if you happen to have a great story behind an item that you own, email it to me! mamushkamarievintage@gmail.com Subject line: "the meaning of things"