Break Time

I will be taking a break from blogging in order to complete a few projects and prepare for upcoming events. See you later!

Beyond Educational Boxes

When I was in school, the question of the day was always "What college are you going to?" After graduating H.S. I did in fact go on to a university and had a great time there. However, my high school classmates who weren't attracted to campus life sometimes felt a little lost. They didn't get much help at school since both the curriculum and guidance counseling were weighted heavily towards college, even if the student had no idea why she should go.

I think the reason for this was because over the last few decades, the choice of a career in skilled trades has been losing acceptance in middle-class America. And yet, tradespeople are more in demand these days than desk jockeys, they earn more than your average English major and - this is what most university grads don't realize - entry into degree programs in auto repair, dental hygiene or electronics may be more difficult than getting into a liberal arts college. Such programs require a high degree of mathematical, scientific and/or technical skill.

Thirty years ago, guys who liked to fiddle around with cars were called grease monkeys and simply got started in the business by getting hired as go-fers at a garage. These days the automotive manual for professionals that students at the local community college use weighs more than all my English textbooks together!

A lot of kids are missing some great opportunities, only because they're stuck inside an educational box. My husband, who used to work for a program that served at-risk high school students, once told me that trade union representatives have a hard time getting permission to visit schools and sign up interested kids - guidance counselors are so focused on bringing college admissions reps to campus that everything else falls by the wayside.

Happily this is changing, partly due to high unemployment & the recession. More students question the wisdom of paying $50,000+ for a degree in an overcrowded field, especially if they don't have a clear vocation.

Maybe it's also partly due to personal experience. One of my sharpest, most insightful and artistically talented friends works as a hairdresser and has "only" a cosmetology license. And one of the most incompetent bosses I've ever had (nice, but incompetent) had an MSSW - not just a Masters in Social Work but a Master of Science in Social Work, which requires more credits. Boomers like myself are realizing that formal education can't teach practical living skills, business sense or street smarts, and we're adjusting expectations for our kids.

For an interesting take on the value of manual work, read Shop Class as Soul Craft by Matthew B. Crawford (20009). Crawford holds a PhD and once directed a think tank in Washington DC but quit his desk job to open a motorcycle repair shop.

He and other professionals like him are showing young people that you can be smart and still enjoy getting your hands dirty. And even make a living at it.

Civility in the 'Couv

Several weeks ago I invited concerned readers to check out the Civility Project, a national effort to counter the hostile tone that pervades much of our political debate and public interactions these days. Here is a local page with similar focus, for those of you in the 'Couv.


http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=15432&id=100930513296966&saved

News from the Slow Food Movement

I've just read this page. Good food in schools - yes! Now if only kids could be given enough time during lunch period to actually enjoy it...

Locally Grown in Schools

Slow Lane: A Sort of Sabbath

(Labor Day 2010)

This morning I took the dog out for a walk and noticed that a number of the small businesses along upper Main street are closed on Labor Day. Good for them. Although a few would-be customers might be disappointed, I find it nice to think that the employees get to spend the day off with their families.

Until recently, this kind of thinking was definitely an outside-the-lines zone in mainstream U.S. culture. We were supposed to believe that a 24/7/365 Business as Usual policy is desirable. It ostensibly creates much-needed jobs, boosts the economy and makes life more convenient for all of us.

But a funny thing happened to some of us when we tried to live this way. As I compare notes with fellow Boomers, we've noticed several patterns that emerged alongside convenience culture.

For one thing, nonessential tasks became "urgent" simply because we had the means to accomplish them immediately; the world wouldn't end if we didn't run out and get more peanut butter that night, but since stores were open round the clock, we felt like we should go out.

A side effect of this constant availability has been that many of us don't plan well. My mom and dad raised six kids, yet I don't remember either of them running to the store every single day. Maybe since businesses had shorter hours 30-40 years ago, people developed better time management skills than we do now.

Another effect of 24/7 was that the quality of our relationships deteriorated. A friend recently noted that with every new "convenience" she seems to add another item to her to-do list, and this has given her less time to simply be with family and friends.

Electronic conveniences even provide a way to "chat" 24/7. I've noticed that for myself, email and Facebook have provided convenient ways to stay in basic touch with people and get work done. However, checking both sometimes feels like just another task on an overloaded plate - plus, coming from enthusiasts, there is sometimes an expectation that I'll answer every message within the hour. None of these interactions take the place of a real live F2F visit; however, having 700 "friends" on Facebook can lead us to think that we're part of a community.

Finally, we noticed that we always felt tired. Getting up in the morning was becoming harder. Could it be that our constant doing was wearing us out?

Five years ago I decided to experiment with having a personal sabbath day. The idea of a day of rest isn't limited to people who belong to an organized religion - anyone can create one. Each of us can decide what "rest" means. For example, I don't go grocery shopping, fill up the tank or check email on days of rest, because those tasks feel like work. However, I'll weed the garden if I want, or cook a good meal. Every so often, my household has an electronics-free day - no email, social networks, phone or TV. We talk to each other instead.

What would you do (or not do) on your day of rest?