Shopclass-redux

Without the internet

Since many of you posted positive hopeful things that you found in our reading I would like to revise my plumbing diatribe. As I re-read my plumbing post I neglected to celebrate the one thing that made that venting of frustration possible. The rise of technology sometimes works as an asset to self-reliance. If I could not use the internet to shop for things that two decades ago were limited for sale to professionals in-the-know I wouldn't have been able to replace my leaky faucet so easily.While it is very frustrating to navigate the planned obsolescence of our current consumer culture I am joyful that I am able to be so self sufficient.

With the internet

The advocacy of this virtue in our reading is potentially my favorite part. That coupled with the assertion of the author that it is important to recognize that behind the scenes of my dishwasher, that I so love, was a stellar electrician and an amazing plumber who aren't that accustomed to being respected for their professions as say a doctor or a teacher might be. Without these guys my interaction and control over the material world I inhabit would be far less glamourous and WAY dirtier.
I have to admit I have always been transfixed by the way things work. At first it was simply curiosity but as I have grown and aged my fascination with the innards of my house, my car, my toaster, even my computer has remained steadfast and piqued. When parts of my body begin to malfunction I am equally intrigued although these systems seem much more etherial and obtuse. I can relate to the function of the pituitary glad, for instance, but how does the brain know how and when to regulate it? There are chemical compounds that can be introduced into the blood stream that can affect it's performance and there are disorders that can cause it to totally malfunction. However, the design and maintenance of this system still seems mysterious. Whereas the central computer in my car simply reacts to routines and prompts generated by the electrical systems of my vehicle to tell me for example that my tire has low pressure and that I should stop and fill it to the recommended 33lbs of pressure it requires. In either case the fact that someone who is like me, and by like me I mean human, can understand and repair or diagnose these complicated systems commands respect.
It's simple, until the water stops working you don't necessarily think about how incredibly convenient your indoor toilet is. So this excerpt reminds me that I should be constantly grateful for the material world that allows me to live in comfort and champion the role of the heroes at the other end of the wrench that keep it that way.