"Don’t Throw It Away—Take It to the Repair Cafe"

[leno...@yahoo.com]

https://www.citylab.com/life/2018/07/how-repair-cafes-can-fix-our-throwaway-culture/564923/

Excerpts:

...What she’s discovered was that it wasn’t that people liked throwing away old stuff. “Often when they don’t know how to repair something, they replace it, but they keep the old one in the cupboard—out of guilt,” she said. “Then at a certain moment, the cupboard is full and you decide this has been lying around [long enough].”

That’s why the cafes teach people how to repair their belongings, rather than doing it for them. Back at Elkridge Library, Goedeke led a session on how to rewire lamps, taking one apart and showing the audience the individual components. Each time the fixers worked on something, they explained the process to the person across the table...


...For him, though, the focus isn’t so much on the appliances as it is on interacting with his community. “I have to be honest, when you go telling people you want to save the world, they often say, ‘That sounds nice, but I don’t have the time,’” he said. “But if there is this aspect of, ‘Do you want your toaster fixed, and while you’re having that done, can we talk about saving the world?’ they tend to be more receptive.”

Each cafe operates differently, but Postma says one thing often stays the same: “The atmosphere is always the same,” she said. “It’s always many funny products and happy people.”

[ItsJoan NotJoann]

And?

[leno...@yahoo.com]

> >
> > That’s why the cafes teach people how to repair their belongings, rather than doing it for them.

As the above hints, one saves money by learning repair skills.

[ItsJoan NotJoann]

On Wednesday, July 25, 2018 at 7:37:28 PM UTC-5, leno...@yahoo.com wrote:
> > >
> > > That’s why the cafes teach people how to repair their belongings, rather than doing it for them.
>
>
> As the above hints, one saves money by learning repair skills.
>
>

And if there are no 'repair cafes' in my city?

[Bob F]

If you have something broken, google for how to fix it. Write-ups and
videos are available which will help a lot. Pick up tools at garage
sales or thrift shops.

Just try to fix things. Maybe you won't be able to sometimes, but you
will learn a little bit each time you try. Learn to look at things, and
figure out why they are built the way they are. What does that lever do?
What is that thing-a-ma-bob? Also, ask handy friends or neighbors for
ideas. Each thing you (try to) fix will make you better at it. It is a
lifetime process.

[Beaver...@live.com]

I have poor hand eye coordination and I don't have any friends.

[Bob F]

Hand eye coordination is a learned thing. The more you challenge your
skills, the better they will get. If you don't want to improve, don't
try, and you won't improve.

Read the book "the brain that changes itself" by Norman Doidge, MD, if
you want to see how adaptable the human brain is. This was for me a
fascinating read.

[Beaver...@live.com]

Fuck yeah I am fascinated with the brain.

I do have overall coordination issues that are being exacerbated by unbalanced hearing.

[Bob F]

I can't remember whether it was that book or the following book that got
into severe balance issues. Read them both. Your library could well
already have them. I bought them both after reading them.