… – אז הגעת למסקנה שאתה מעוניין להיות ברמן! אבל אתה וודאי כבר תוהה: “כמה זמן צריך ללמוד בבית הספר בשביל זה?” “התשובה הפשוטה היא, שזה תלוי. אבל אל תדאג, אם אתה מעוניין בלימודים ארוכ… Quick and Easy Shopping at Stop & Shop – Austin Matzko…

Back in New Mexico (where life is Very slow and easy), checkers actually still make small talk with you – just for a few seconds while they’re bagging your stuff, you might chat about how expensive some vegetable is, or they might even ask you where you found a particular item… Maybe you let them know about the good deal you just found on some little luxury item, or you talk about the terrible traffic jam you just got through to get there (i.e., 5 cars at a stoplight in New Mexico) … After a few seconds like this, you thank them and they wish you a good day. And both of you can actually seem to mean it.

Yeah, it’s superficial, but it’s human.

(I suspect that we are mainly East-Coasters posting here. Someone like Michael C, above, would most likely not feel the need to call on some extraordinary chutzpah to get the cashier’s opinion in NM)

the diatribe continues: the diy checking is faster, but it also promotes the idea in our culture that we should do everything as fast as possible, even if that means reducing human contact and forgetting to see each other as human beings; we start to see each other as “my means for getting what I want as quickly and efficiently as possible…” (yup – I think Kant had a real insight on that one.) “Why can’t that person just hurry up! I Need to get More for me! NOW.”

I suspect that’s why a blog and possibilities to post like this are such a welcome medium. We get to have the illusion of being social, and of having others listen to us and agree or disagree with us. we have the chance to slow down and be thoughtful about the little (and very important) things in life, and to remember that those two qualities – being little and being very important – do not necessarily designate mutually exclusive categories. (like Maggie, for instance! =) )

ok – posting is not just an illusion of being social, and it really is great that we have something to fill the gap with, but it just doesnt provide what you get out of real human contact, where you *have* to be face-to-face with another person, and actually deal with whatever (good and bad) comes up in social life.

“I don’t like what you think about my posting? well, I’ll just scroll down ’til I find someone who agrees with ME and who recognizes just how right and great I am… Better yet, I’ll just close that window with a firm press of my index-finger, and I will make You disappear! Hah!”

Dealing with people on a face-to-face basis forces us – whether we like it or not – to be just a little less self-indulgent and self-absorbed. and when we have to deal with a person on a regular basis, we can be forced at least to appear to be decent and respectful of them, even if we don’t feel like it. yes, that can be a royal pain, but I think it can also be a very good and decent thing for everyone, including ourselves.

like Sam and Maggie are probably learning, it’s not Always good to get everything we want, and sometimes it’s just not nice for others when we think that we should get whatever we happen to want Right Now.

so that’s what I think about those diy things. how many words? just to reiterate what Kant says in a line – “Act in such a way that you treat humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of any other, always at the same time as an end and never merely as a means”

thanks very much for the blog, A!

and now, how do I get out of here?? I really need to go get some more stuff. NOW. =)