A few years ago, I wrote a blog post called New Things. It was all about how we should embrace change and be willing to try new things. They can be fun and exciting. They can open up new possibilities and opportunities. Plus, they’re just cool. Yes, I’m still a big fan of new things. But that’s not what I want to talk about today. Today, I want to talk about old things.

Last week, while digging through some stuff in my closet, I came across my old iPhone 5s. It came from a simpler time when phones actually fit comfortably into pockets and “phablets” were things only the tetchiest of techies carried. I was intrigued not only by how small it was, but by how intuitively I was still able to use it despite being on a significantly larger device (my iPhone 6 Plus) for a long time. It was like reconnecting with an old friend, and I really enjoyed it.

That experience got me thinking about old things and the place they have in our lives. I came up with a few simple thoughts on the subject, and I thought I might share them with you.

1. Old things are fun to revisit.

Once I pulled out my old iPhone, I didn’t want to put it down. I carried it around for a couple of days under the guise of “testing out the battery” and used it for everything I possibly could: texting, emailing, reading, tweeting, watching videos. I enjoyed using something different and revisiting something that used to be a part of my everyday life. Old things can be exciting and fun to revisit once they’ve been out of our lives for a while. It’s worth the time and energy to pull out old things and try them on for size every once in a while.

2. Old things are old for a reason.

As much as I loved playing with my old phone, there’s no way I’m going back to it full-time. It’s smaller size is cute, but I prefer my bigger phone for more productive activities. Plus all of the new software is being developed for the newer phones, so there are some features my old phone just doesn’t have. Old things become old things for a reason. They’re fun, but they aren’t always fitting replacements for new things. Sometimes new things are just more practical.

3. Old things can find new uses.

But that doesn’t mean old things can’t be useful, too. I’ve been thinking about how I can use my old phone, and I’ve come up with a couple of good ideas. I can carry it around and use it as a secondary device to record video or control presentations without tying up my phone, or I could pass it on to someone else who is in need of a phone. I’m not exactly sure what I’m doing with it yet, but no matter what I do, it’ll be better than just leaving the phone on a shelf. Because old things do have value and purpose if we’ll just take the time to find them.

I know this blog post is a little all over the place and maybe not the most relatable. I apologize for that. But that’s what I’ve been thinking about this week, and I thought I’d share it. Have a great day, friends, and I’ll see you next Tuesday!