From Beth at Fake Plastic Fish:

“The big question is why we don’t know how to fix things already. Why does it require all this research? And how many times have you taken an appliance to a repair place, only to be told that it’s not worth it to fix and that you should junk it and buy a new one? Everything has value and is worth fixing or repurposing in some way.”

Tao says: She’s right, you know. Why don’t we even value the idea of fixing things? Throw-away is one of the first things we are taught in this culture. Little kids learn it way before anything else. How many times do you hear well-intentioned adults praising their children for “throwing it away”? Forget the Santa Clause fantasy - I feel that this misleading notion is far more dangerous and disappointing. As one of those kids, I have a vague recollection of wondering just where all this stuff went (I remember the same feeling about seeing water going down the drain). There were no conversations in my house about sewer systems or landfills - or fixing things, for that matter. However, there were waste baskets in every room.

I came across a used handheld vacuum cleaner that I took in for repair. I was told it would cost more to fix than if I simply bought a new one. When I replied that I didn’t mind paying more for the repair, the shop owner looked at me incredulously and flat out refused to do the work, still encouraging me to buy the new one. I did find someone else to fix it, but I think most people would have innocently given in to the new purchase.

As Beth says, most things we discard still have value. It makes me sad to see furniture being thrown out when I’ve seen first hand what an upholsterer friend can do with just about any piece in any condition. He remade my couch and here’s one of the chairs he has refurbished. He fixes and rebuilds a lot of things. This kind of skill and talent is a rare find, but there are others participating in the economy by fixing stuff, so if you can’t do it yourself, find someone who can. (You can reach my friend, Michael May, at Mid-Century Modern, 919-986-1531.)

Change is not just about resources and technologies. Change is about attitude and re-framing our perspective about stuff and convenience. Change is about taking responsibility for our stuff and rethink our consumer-driven ideals. Fix it, don’t throw it.

Tags: activism, culture, home

This entry was posted on Friday, February 15th, 2008 at 12:23 pm and is filed under Green Misc.. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.