Skills Forgotten
There were many activities and skills your ancestors had and used that are not done so much in the 21st century. These items could come back and you might be interested in doing so, especially if you can find out through a photo, journal or letter that an ancestor had these skills.
A nearly lost art was gardening at home. It has made a bit of a comeback due to the 2020 -2021 virus-19. Your ancestors for sure had gardens at home, not just for growing food but flowers also.
Writing ‘thank you notes‘ is truly a lost art. It was a must that if a special favor was done for you, or a gift was given, you were expected to write a hand-written thank you note to be sent to the person who thought of you with a gift or help. At most in the 21st-century people send an email or a text. If you are on the receiving end, don’t you like to get something special in the mail delivered to your home?
The skill of starting a fire outside without using matches, now that is a lost skill. There have been several methods used over the years, might be interesting to learn one.
Writing checks from your bank account is not often done anymore. Today people use credit cards, PayPal and debit cards. Even using cash is not done very much. Students years ago even in school learned the proper way to fill out a check.
The canning of fruits, jams and vegetables, was very popular in every household at one time. It did have to be done correctly so you didn’t have bacteria in the jar. That is another lost skill.
The skill of properly socializing with individuals. That is face to face, at someone’s home, at school, at a party or other gathering. It was basically holding a good conversation with someone. You had to ask the right questions, have answers and not offend anyone.
The mending of clothes, again a skill mostly lost today, including making an outfit from the beginning. Cutting the pattern and sewing it is a lost skill for many people. But most of your female ancestors knew how to sew and mend. With that is the skill of knitting and crocheting.
Photos: Gardening at home; Writing thank you notes; Writing bank checks; and Canning of peaches
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