I have broken this subject up into tiny bites or courses, like a progressive dinner where one is served in different places a portion of a meal. I think it serves to fill in the spaces I left behind in what I did and did not say in and in of this little piece of writing.
I hope this course goes with your desert and coffee, followed by intense thought and perhaps a buzz of conversation, to delight and serve one and all.
Think back on the jobs done over lifetimes of family and friends. Maybe you had a book binder in the family, very skilled, and a person of great worth to the publishing community. Perhaps, you knew a clock maker, a furniture maker. It took patience to wait to get what you wanted, but worth it for the quality and service.
Consider for a moment, not too long ago, waiting in line at the bank to deposit or draw out money. You dealt not with an ATM, but a real bank teller. A person whose job it was to make your transaction and satisfy you.
A gas station employee, properly dressed so as not to drip gas on a beautiful cuff or shoe, pumped gas, checked oil and cleaned the windshield. You, the customer then paid and left without needing desperately to wash your hands. I remember when my brother in law owned a station and people were not allowed to pump their own gas...it was unheard of! Now, when temperatures plummet, and winds make you wish you were dressed for more than driving to and from a place, I truly would wait in line for a service person to save me. It's a thought.
If, as individuals, we refused to use machines instead of people, people would be put to work. Technology is not bad in and of itself. It is useful, fun and very enhancing...but it should not replace people ever. Technological advances should do just that, accompany the human being in their lives and assist our work not replace it.
There it is.
Simply refuse to do things simply for convenience. Make work for people by using them instead of things. Insist upon the warmth of human contact and particular skill. Enjoy the interaction between of people making a living around you and what you need.
Did this speak to anyone in a particular way? Please, if it did, I would like to hear what you have to add.
Thank you,
Mary
