Trends

I'm not sure whether to be flattered or annoyed.  Years after I pick a hobby, or collectible, or passion, - before too long here comes the NYTimes, or Brooklyn, or NBC nightly news or some other trend arbiter to tell me how popular what I do is.

Take for instance last week's Times article on the old school draw of Thank you notes.  Thank You Notes.  One of my favorite Sunday night pleasures.  I've run out of people to thank half the time so I've resorted to following achievements in the newspaper and writing people I'm lightly acquainted with.

And my 60 odd piece typewriter collection is about original as a Carhart jacket anymore, though when I started in 1990 or so, you couldn't give a typewriter away.  Now an old typewriter adorns any well designed set.

New Old Homes were quite an original thought in 2003 when we produced Farm #1, but have since made mainstream ubiquitously.

Right -Sized homes -meaning the anti-mcmansion - has been our mantra long before the WSJ dedicated an entire section to the 'new idea'.

Letter writing, or at least the claim of letter writing, is very vogueish, but I don't believe it.  Too much work.  Those days are over, with texts and emails stripping communication of subtle meaning and importance and just the general appreciation of the effort of a letter.  Just the idea of waiting 3 days for someone to get your thoughts is outlandish anymore, let alone the whole process of stationary, posting, and waiting.

And the roaring 20's and The Great Gatsby and its author Fitzgerald - whose solitary fiction critique section I used to study silently in random old town libraries- have been thoroughly celebrated and gone Hollywood.  Sadly, a girlfriend of old gave me a first run copy of the Gatsby, which I haven't seen in years.  She gave great gifts, many times not even on an occasion, but I was so country I had no idea that a Coach bag, a Canali suit, prada shoes or a beach front home in the Hamptons held much import.

It's not as though I hold the discovery of these pleasures against those who find them - it's just, idk, just was kind of more meaningful when they were less celebrated and more quietly personal.  Now, to the casual observer, like my original Eames lounger in my office, its hard to know if I'm following or leading.