YOURS--MINE--& OURS

         YOURS—MINE—and OURS

There was a movie back in the 1960’s called “yours- Mine & Ours”. I was looking at the book in the library, the other day and, it clicked one of the memory switches in my head, and away I went with, the one thought of that movie sending me off in many different directions. Fortunately or unfortunately the thought, for the most part had nothing to do at all with the movie. 

In my day I seem to remember there were more thoughts and talk about Our home, Our son, our car and Our kids and not as much as the possessive form,  My son, My car and My kids. This may be good and it may be bad and it may be some of both, but it made me start to think about it.

Have our thoughts and actions really changed, or were they never that way and I just remember things as I want too?

I notice in kids, especially now days that everything seems to be “Mine” and “Yours” very early in their life and very little “Ours.”

Of course toddlers learn the word “mine” very early and they seem to feel everything they touch is “mine.” I think that is just a baby thing, however sometimes it hangs on well into the teens, young adults and even sometimes into Moms and Dads language and mind-set.

Is it because people have become so affluent that each person in a family can have one of his own “things”? I think or we seem to believe, that if we can afford anything we want, so why don’t each member of the family has a “thing” and then it will truly be mine and we will not have to deal with “ours.” All four or five “things” might be just exactly alike and even sit unused a good part of the time but they are “Mine.” If this is the case I guess we can say “mine”, like a toddler, and it will be true most of the time?

At this point another memory switch kicks in and reminds me that a lot of people in the 1930’s and 40’s did not have everything they wanted and often not even the things they needed.

I suppose our family was not affluent but we did have all we NEEDED. One memory I have is that my Sister and two or three of her friends used to trade clothes (Skirts, tops and shoes), for a couple of days every week, I think so they did not have to wear the same clothes to school every day. Now this might be a real CASE of Yours, Mine and Ours?

There seems to be a lot of “Stuff” in homes now days. Anyway I know there is in my home. If you are like me you don’t know what to do with it. And many times you don’t know where it came from. It is just there, it seems to belong to no one. It is just stuff, yours, mine and ours. (Mostly yours).

Then in these modern times I think most people collect stuff on their computer (Why do we say on the computer and not IN the computer?) Where did this computer “stuff” come from? Who does it belong to? Who is that Baby Picture of? I wish I knew who that old man was in that picture? That scenic picture is beautiful; I wonder where it was taken?

I don’t know about you but I have a lot of those questions that I wish I knew the answers to. In fact I am sure there is a LOT of STUFF in our computers that really are yours, mine and ours but we do not know it?   

When you get my age I hope that everyone does not start talking to and about your computer. However I also am quite sure I am not the ONLY one that does it. I even talk to mine by name—one is Myrtle and the other is Bertrude. I do not recall ever, in any of our conversations or arguments getting an answer, but at times I sure have given both of them a piece of my mind!

(Well talking about computers has caused me to digress and become

Convoluted, as they do a lot of times)

 No matter what our personality is, we at one time or another fall into the yours, mine and ours category? And of course this can cause problems. Have you ever heard these words, expressed in a VERY LOUD VOICE---------

“WHY” are you sitting in MY Chair?

“WHAT” you used MY TOOTH-BRUSH?

“WHY” do you want MY Computer PASSWORD? I thought we decided there was no reason for us to know each others password?

“Why”, when he wins an award, is he YOUR son?

“Why” when he has an appointment with the Principal, he is MY SON?  

One liberty I have taken, without asking and without thinking if it is OK or not, is to call my Great Grand Children “MINE” every time I talk about them. Of course they are not just mine---they also have Mom’s and Dad’s, grandpa’s and Grandma’s and other grand and great grandparents. However I am possessive when I am with them, and they become “MINE.”  
W.R. Baldwin
3 March 2017