The radio program Human Kind presented a audio biography of Helen Keller this morning on NPR, an introductory excerpt can be found here, Or the full one hour program can be ordered as an MP3 file or audio CD through this site. The most amazing thing in the Helen Keller story beyond her courage, faith and service was the role of her hands in allowing her to emerge from blindness, deafness and isolation.
On another subject, the era of "cheap" made-in-China consumer goods may be coming to an end, leaving global traders looking for new suppliers of the cheap labor required to produce their goods. What if we were to bring the work back home and demand that the objects we buy be objects of useful beauty, reflective of personal growth and environmental responsibility within community?
>>What if we were to bring the work back home and demand that the objects we buy be objects of useful beauty, reflective of personal growth and environmental responsibility within community?>>
ReplyDeleteIt would have to happen slowly as most US workers don't have the skills in place to produce such work. But I believe that a hunger resides in the marketplace for the objects you describe, and if the market exists, an opportunity also exists for people to learn those skills. It all hinges on the consumer's willingness to pay the price necessary so that those craftspeople can earn a living.
We don't start out with skill, but if we have an understanding of the need for skill and a willingness to invest in the lives of each other, rather than merely spending money on rather meaningless stuff, we would build community.
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