Shutting the Curtains

Now I know during this entry I am probably going to really show my age (and my inbuilt snobbishness) but I can't help it. I realised, reading other's bloggs, that I love the ones that are someone giving an opinion - even if I don't agree. Well here is my opinion on curtain pulling.

You see, I can't understand why people keep their curtains pulled all the time. We have scarce little daylight in the winter so getting any of it through the windows is an absolute bonus and during the summer, especially this year we are having some gorgeous weather and I can't wait to get up in the morning and let in the sunshine. And maybe that is me, my hippyism that enjoys the outdoors and nice weather. I certainly know that sunshine makes me feel so much better and helps my mental health, going outside, walking the dog whatever the weather helps me feel me good.

Anyway, back to the point. I have noticed that with each generation it seems to get worse - that each generation seem to want to spend there whole day with the curtains closed - shut inside a big dark den, burning electricity, watching TV or DVD's or playback on Sky+, playing computer games shut into the big dark den. First is was my own girls, who are both heading towards 30 now, they would never pull their curtains. Their excuse was we live in a bungalow and didn't want anyone 'purving' on them (they meant the guy across the road but that's another story). They have both moved out and into their own homes and still do it. I go to see my eldest daughter, who has this really cool bungalow with wide patio doors in the lounge and windows at the front down a nice long drive and all the curtains are closed. The sunshine is well and truly shut out! My younger daughter lets a bit more sunshine in when we are there. She has the biggest front bay windows on a flat in a Victorian villa, but I know she shuts out the sun loads too.

Now I have boy - he has been away this week, doing activities (and it has been gloriously quiet) but as soon as he came home all the curtains in his rooms were closed - well and truly firmly shut. From the outside it just looks horrible. I go in there and open them but as soon as he goes back in they are shut up tight again. In fact he has requested thicker, darker curtains to keep out the sun- huh!

When you drive around the area, there are a few houses that always have the curtains shut - well I know this is snobby but these are the houses that always have run down paintwork, rusty old bangers in the garden, old bits of furniture and black sacks hanging around and looked generally really unloved. The curtains look so tightly pulled together that it appears they have never been opened and often apart from the permanent rubbish like no one actually lives in there. These are not always young, or youngish people, but they are a type of person. You expect them, if they ever come outside, to be very pale, almost deathly looking, squinting at the sun as it burns there unprotected skin. These houses often have deliveries, like Tesco's and unidentified parcels. Just the door open quickly, a hand comes out, signs if necessary and then back to curtain drawn abyss.

Now, I guess I am old fashioned, but every morning my mum would get up, put the kettle on, let out the dog and pull the curtains. It was about starting the day and letting the daylight in. Even in the winter when it was either grey or still dark, the curtains were pulled and life began. Often with a conversation about what sort of weather we were going to have that day (is that very British or do all nationalities do this). I love to wake up with the daylight. If I get up in the night I will often pull the curtains, especially in the summer, to allow the sun to naturally wake me up. It is wonderful, to hear the birds, to feel the warm of the sunlight oozing through my eyelids and warming my soul.

Do I care if the neighbours are looking in? Not really, there is nothing much to see here, just us getting on with our daily lives and honestly, me with nothing on - not a pleasant sight and not one that anyone would want to experience often. Let them look I say, what have they to gain, but life through someone else. Not for me, although I like a bit of noisy but don't want to be watching others live.

So am I old fashioned. Should I really shut out the world and keep myself hidden behind curtains, not watching the wildlife or experiencing the weather. God I hope not. I hope up until my end of days I have the energy to get up in the morning, put the kettle on, let the dog out and pull the curtains. I do so hope....