Manual Labor

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One of the nice things about doing tasks by hand rather than by labor-saving device, which I don't acknowledge often enough, is that it gives me the opportunity to think without physical restlessness distracting me. Today, while hand-washing the unfixed dye out of a new-ish tie-dyed shirt and skirt, I found myself thinking about the current economic situation in the U.S..

America is becoming less affluent. We as a nation no longer have the resources to try to be everything to everyone. What's more, this is an unprecedented opportunity. In deciding where our limited resources should be directed - what to save and what to leave by the wayside - we have the chance to put our money where our mouth is and really live our values, personally and collectively. It's something to consider, in the voting booth certainly, but also in the stores and when you see someone selling the Spare Change News or your local equivalent. Do my actions move this world closer to, or farther from, being one that I want to live in? It may seem like a drop in the bucket, but even drops add up over time.

Comments

[scatteredshells]

You know I've noticed that I enjoy doing tasks by hand for the thinking-more reason, and tied it to thinking better when I'm physically engaged in something, but I never quite put it together with the thought of physical restlessness being distracting. Huh. Food for thought!