Be Honest, Do You Really Care About The Effort That Goes Into Making The Things You Use?

Why should you bother?

Bother you should, because once you realize how much effort, work and time go into making most things you might be a bit more appreciative. After all, we are collectively know as the
" Throw-away " society. Don't like it? Oh, let's just toss it out.

You know, now that I get to help in the wine making process, I pale at the thought of how often I would toss out a quarter bottle of left over wine. Wine that should have been drunk when it was opened and not merely poured down the sink because its berry flavour had lessened.

If you only knew the amount of back breaking work that is involved in making a or any bottle of wine, you would be humbled. Our generation is so used to just going to the shop to purchase whatever we want. No questions asked as long as we have the money.

At school it should be mandatory to attend a class of:

How & Where...most of what you consume is made. .

• Maybe help feed, clean the cow - poo daily & milk a cow.
• In fact, help in the process of making hay. Forking the cut grass onto a pile. Making the hay bales. Stacking the hay bales. Using the hay bales to feed the cows. Suddenly a liter of milk or a pound of butter takes on a whole new meaning...
• Growing cotton. Picking cotton. Spinning cotton. Making cloth from cotton. Sewing a shirt from cotton.
• Planting a tree. Pruning a tree. Looking after a tree. Felling a tree. Cutting planks from the tree. Making furniture from the planks. That might prove to be a big Aha moment for anybody.
• Helping a winemaker. Planting the vines. Pruning the vines. Bending the vines onto the wire. Picking the grapes. De-stemming the grapes. Watching the grape juice turn into wine ( year or two ). Filtering a barrel of wine. Cleaning the empty bottles to be used. Filling the bottles. Labeling the bottles. Storing the bottles. Finally, tasting the contents of that bottle.

Somehow we have all lost the gist of life. Yes, we have an easier life than our parents or grandparents had. Yes, we have everything we need ten times over. Yes, most of us just go out and buy whatever we want or feel like. But let's be honest...We don't have that inner happiness of having produced something / made something / grown something.

Biggi