All Hands on Deck

Initially, I was to write on the subject of working with one's hands weeks ago. I had two reason to do so. The first reason is that working with one's hands and vocational skills in general are devalued in the U.S. , I think. Each time I hear someone promoting the idea that everyone should go to college I become annoyed. The truth is everyone shouldn't go to college. The reason everyone shouldn't go is not due to lack of brain power as some authors are making a living out of promoting. I attempt to read a book by one of these authors recently and couldn't get pass the introduction because of the veiled class and race bias arguments. I think for many people college is not the best learning environment.

Also, just because someone doesn't to college, but does gain valuable skills in other venues, that person shouldn't be devalued. Hence, I much rather a plumber who received on-the-job training fix my drain than someone who graduated college with a degree in water management.

Somewhere along the line we started placing more value on thinking than doing, in my opinion. With all the schooling I have, none of it gives me as much pleasure as designing and construction learning toys, particularly out of wood, even though I also work in metal, textile, and plastic. Mind you my skill level in woodworking is nothing to brag about, but I get the job done--at least to my satisfaction.

This brings me to the second reason for wanting to write about working with one's hands. Weeks ago I read a New York Times Magazine essay titled The Case for Working With One's Hand by Matthew B. Crawford. Crawford wrote about finding joy in working with his hands and managing a motorcycle shop while having a Ph.D. He also had expanded these ideas in his book Shop Class as Soulcraft. The essay was great, but I procrastinated writing about his essay and my views about working with one's hands. Then this morning watched Crawford on the Steven Colbert show. And later in the day I stumbled upon an article about Crawford's book on the Financial Times website after reading a Tom Friedman's article concerning America's need to invent its way to a better future--note the previous post.

So, I finally felt compelled to write this post. I'm sure I'll have more to say about our cultural view that graduating college is evidence of intelligence.