Hands On Experience

Last week, I spent some quality time with my dad, a product of the final years of the Baby Boom. A diesel engine mechanic, my father’s true passion is in woodworking. In our reasonably sized backyard sits a woodshop that was carefully planned and executed by my dad himself. With the help of a few close friends, he moved our small shed across the backyard with a pulley system before piecing together the timber frame of his shop.

At home, I’m surrounded by reminders of my dad’s talents-Windsor chairs, hope chests, the remodeled kitchen.

What my dad lacks in tech-savvy, he more than makes up for in ingenuity and skill. It seems to be quite the opposite for our generation. Our lack of ability for manual skilled labor is made up for in our ability to outsource and navigate the treacherous Internet.

Is one skill set better than the other? No, we’re all just cogs in the wheel, right? But, in a society that continues to value information and knowledge, the value we place in these types of labor decreases.

Last year, The Daily Herald, of Everett, Wash., published an article discussing the shortage of young people wanting to take labor jobs. The arguments for this problem touched on perceived laziness of Generation Y and emphasis on academics not vocations.

We all reserve the right to choose our own path in life. For many of us, that path does not lead to woodworking or engine mechanics. But, in the absence of those paths, are the men and women of Generation Y losing out on the understanding of what it feels like to physically create something? To build something, or make something work with our own two hands (no computer involved)?

I can’t remember the last time I put something together that didn’t come with Ikea instructions.

-Rachel