Progress
The photo on my Mum’s dresser shows Gran and Gramps getting married. She made the dress herself from a Simplicity pattern and fabric she bought at the market. There were enough scraps that Mum was christened in a gown made with them, two years later.
I can’t sew a button. Mum could; I’d have to pay someone. Economic progress through the loss of individual skills. Presumably Great-Gran wove the fabric herself. And her Grandma grew the cotton herself.
If I’m right, where does progress go next? Perhaps my daughters won’t even have to earn their own money to buy clothes!
** All fiction, in case you were wondering **
elmowrites 
A nice reflection. And yes perhaps we’ll be paid just to consume
What a frightening thought, Neil
Dear Jen,
I’m not sure we’ll go that far. 😉 However, your story does make a statement. Nicely done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
Thanks Rochelle. I hope we can recover some of the skills without losing some of the progress. Maybe that’s wishful thinking.
Very true. I can identify. My mom knew how to use the sewing-machine; I don’t. But, I can use needle and thread.
This is what will happen.
Progress comes at a cost.
Yes, I’m OK with a needle and thread, but I do feel inept compared to my foremothers, so the feeling behind this story is perhaps true even thought the details aren’t.
I was lamenting this very thing a few years ago. Through the generations, certain skills were not passed down… So well stated, Jen.
Thanks, Dale!
All fiction, although the idea about losing skills, and where the next generation goes from here rings very true. Can’t help but think a connection between crafting and creating nd growing our own ‘things’ might teach us all a lesson. Well done.
Yes, fiction in the specifics rather than the message. My eldest yesterday complained that we don’t grow anything, so maybe the interest is there and we just need to make the time to nurture it.
The basic skills in life are slowly disappearing in our society, where will it lead?
We’ll all be fine as long as our society sustains. If that goes, most of us are doomed, I’m afraid!
Wonderfully contemplated fiction, Jen.
But when I read of the original settlers throughout the lands, I can only say I could not have survived. Well done.
Amen to that, Bill. I live in Canada and I constantly wonder how anyone survived the winter (settlers or natives), especially in a nomadic fashion, without modern insulation, heating etc. We are pathetic indeed by comparison.
Here in Texas our greatest fear is loss of air conditioning. 🙂
With cars driving themselves and robots taking our jobs, what will there be left to do?
Sit back and enjoy it?!
Perhaps we will be sent to the stars, and earth will be left in peace,
Might be for the best. Some recent developments certainly suggest there are forces at work to make that happen.
it’s so personal it feels like a true story. well done. 🙂
Thanks, I’m glad it felt that way.
So true, I can identify with this. The generational thing. My mum sewed all my dresses, too expensive to buy new ones. Her mum was a seamstress. I can sew a straight line ok, but doing zigzag on my machine is next level for me lol Lovely story!
I think if I ever find my way back to a sewing machine, I’ll be all about the zigzag… not deliberately though!!!
Your story may be fiction, but it is engendered by real life. I still have the skills I learned from my mom, but these days it is often less expensive to buy off the sale rack than to make it from scratch!