I have always had an affinity with things from the past. I can recall, as a young boy, a friend of mine and I were exploring an old chicken coop we should have never been in in the first place, and coming upon these stacks of vintage newspapers that were teeming with front-page headlines and photos from the years during World War II. There was a spirit about them (and the old chicken coop) that had us returning to this newfound hideaway, daily for a while, fueling our young imaginations. We brought other friends and we sat there for hours, imagining and discussing that pinnacle era where our country was engaged in global war. As young boys, we played out those original battles, which were only just a short, 15-year space of time from when they had been current news. We became detectives of those front-page headlines, decoding what seemed like some secret script from our ancestors. Those newspapers were like ghosts, providing us with messages that subconsciously planted a firmer grasp of our own DNA.

There’s a simple idea behind this simple story – that our lives are inextricably tied to the past. It’s part of our human nature and there is an inherent value to those connections.

Today, we live in very reflective times. We are disposing everyday tools, appliances and goods at a break-neck pace. Do we now live solely for the purpose of convenience? Is there not joy in making something old (like myself), new again? Here’s a quick look at some very interesting takes on reusing (a reincarnation) of things and creating a wonderfully new spirit about them and their connection to the past. It might just be the (unique) holiday gift you’re looking for.