Time can be hard to get a grip on. We lose track of it, run out of it, and never seem to have enough of it. It can fly by in the blink of an eye, or a few minutes can feel like an eternity. Time’s slippery like that. But while time itself is elusive, its effects are easy to spot once you know where to look. Years of use leave their mark on the things around us, sometimes so gradually that we barely notice—until one day, we do.
Much like the lines that eventually cross our faces after years of smiling, frowning, or squinting, the things around us can develop unmistakable signs of being handled, touched, opened, closed, and used over and over again. People have been sharing photos of these fascinating signs of wear online—and in some cases, the marks, impressions, and grooves are so revealing, you can almost picture the little everyday routines that left them behind.
