Napkin Rings and Nostalgia

I grew up in Meriden, Connecticut, once the home of International Silver Company, known around the world for quality silverware of all sorts. International was divided up and sold in the early 1970’s and Meriden has never recovered from the loss of its largest private employer. I browse in antique shops occasionally and sometimes see items that were made in Meriden. Part of my family founded Meriden Britannia Company, one of the companies that formed International Silver in the 1890’s, and I often see Meriden Britannia items, and pick them up for my collection if they are affordable.

Meriden was in its heyday at that time. Just about everything was made there, from player pianos to silver teapots, bench vises, bronze art deco plaques, fancy desk lamps and curtain rods. When I look at my odd collection of Meriden items I think about what the city must have been like. There were people from a number of different countries, recruited from their parts of Europe because of their particular skills. Their descendants still live in Meriden.

Many feel that Meriden’s past was the best that it will ever be. A lot of people have moved away, including me, never to return. But for the people who still live there it is their home, and they have all the hope in the world that Meriden will become a good place to live again.

My purpose here is not just to tell you about my home town. It is to think about the past in relation to the present and future. It is always tempting to look at the past of any aspect of our lives, our families, church and community and wish that things would be like they were in the past. Nostalgia is an addictive drug when indulged in too frequently. I have often thought that the way to make things more like the past is to move into the future. In the case of my hometown, it’s unlikely that anyone will be making silver napkin rings such as the example from Meriden Britannia that I’m looking at right now. But, the institutions that served the population of Meriden, the clubs, schools, churches and neighborhood groups of various sorts can be recast to fit the realities of today. We can’t wish the past to come back no matter how fervently we wish for it. What we can do is look at the present, realistically look at the resources we have available and apply those resources to wherever we feel God is calling us to do so. We are surrounded by opportunities to serve God by serving our neighbors. God calls us to work at discerning our mission wherever we are, celebrating the past but purposely looking to the future, knowing that God will be there already.