This chapter finally discusses what I've been waiting for: local community involvement. One reason Crawford's job is so appealing to him is the fact that he generally knows his customers. The same bikes come in time and time again because the people coming in live in the area and part of a bigger community of motorcycle riders. Relationship from community even helps improve the quality of work; what you're fixing is no longer something distant that the consumer would never take the time to figure out who actually did it. This can be applied to pretty much everything, but especially important for the current push for local foods. Knowing where your food comes from makes a big difference, and keeps the farmer accountable to actual people instead of some big corporate plant.
Crawford also makes a point about how children who were rewarded for drawing eventually lost interest because the reward turned into the reason for drawing. Reading that sounded exactly like college. There are many things that I was interested in before I had to be graded on it, but once a grade was at stake it became more about getting an A than actually enjoying the material. I am definitely looking forward to good grades no longer being the goal for the first time in almost my whole life. Weird.
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Things and people do seem to be healthier and more satisfied/happier when they are part of a community and it's not about a reward. When people do things because they are interested, know someone connected with it, or know where it is coming from then it also tends to be of a better quality. I think people are finally realizing that food actually tastes better when you get it locally from a farmer who cares about his food. It's amazing the difference in taste and experience!
ReplyDeleteModernization isn't always better. I think Crawford is actually asking us to step backwards for progress. We need to go back to our roots and do what we love instead of what makes money or saves time. It seems so revolutionary, but really it is something people did a hundred years ago. We have so quickly gotten away from what is good.