Absolutely.
Neo may see it as a sign of modernization and progress. But there was something to be said for the craft economy, the invididual craftsman working often from a shop below his home. That and the family farm got totally destroyed during most of this century. But I see some of it coming back. As a woodworker, I see a renewed interest in the small, custom furniture shops. Woodworking, both as a hobby and as a small profession, is on the rise. Some small farmers are creeping back into the scene, usually doing either exotic species or organic foods. Farmers markets seem to be going strong after almost dying out in the decades after WWII. In Seattle, for example, Pike Place Market was slated in the 60s to be demolished for a convention center and parking garage. It was saved by the vision of a few people who after a number of years work succeeded in a "save the market" vote in, as I recall, 1970 or 1971. It struggled for awhile, but now is very successful, not only as a tourist attraction but also as a focal point for local residents.
This is, I think, typical of what I see going on. Our own farmers market was established about 10 years ago, and does well.
We will never fully replace the assembly line and the idea of the worker as disposable commodity which has become part of our modern social moral value system, but there are some healthy signs of rebellion. |
