I come from a blue-collar family, so a lot of what Crawford talks about has always made sense to me. When I wanted a computer, my dad and I went to a few computer expos and bought the parts we needed to build one. I learned what the parts did and how they fit together, and how to bargain for cheaper parts. I was in 5th grade, and as far as I know that computer is still working for someone today. If something went wrong, my dad and I would figure it out and fix it. I now refuse to give my computer away to anyone, other than my dad, to fix. (This is also the biggest reason that I am a PC person through and through even if I'm currently stuck with a Mac.) Now I am able to diagnose most problems on a PC and fix them, and each time I do I feel more accomplished than when I get an A on a paper. Manual labor is something that is always needed and almost always taken for granted by those who haven't experienced it. When you've got money, there's no need to take apart and fix your hairdryer or VCR because you can just go buy a new one, and for things like cars you can just send it in to the mechanic. But I'm the type of person that's always enjoyed building and fixing things: the second anything broke in my house I would be taking it apart to figure out what went wrong. It's also the reason I'm a scientist who loves experiments and despises working in an office.
I also think that if society appreciated manual labor there would be more jobs available and we wouldn't constantly be buying things from China. I could really go on and on but for now I should probably wait and see what Crawford will cover, so I will leave you with my current effort at manual labor: my basil. I am currently growing basil in my apartment and I cannot wait for it to be large enough to use. The process is teaching me patience and also continues to show me how great God's creation is. There is little more exciting than seeing the first little bud poke through the soil. Plants themselves are even great examples of the importance of manual labor often taken for granted, but that would turn into a lecture that would be sure to bore all of you.
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There is a certain satisfaction in manuel labor. I find it fulfilling to be able to fix things and be self sufficient. I think Crawford has hit on something that we have forgotten as Americans. We tend to rush through life and consume everything in a wasteful manner, but if we took time and fixed/made do with what we had already we would be a much wealthier, happier, simpler, and patient society. We would be able to not just think, but do. God created us to be creators, and you seem to have learned to balance academics and manuel labor in a healthy fashion.
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