Being resourceful can be a career

With graduations coming up, many of our area high school seniors, as well as our college students, are starting to think about what is next.

Every day, they are likely asked what they plan to do with the rest of their lives. What are the next steps? What do they want to be when they grow up?

For some, it will be more education. Others will start a new job. A few may take some time to travel the world. My soon-to-be-college-graduate son is considering all three, and my husband and I would really love for a decision to be made.

But understandably, those decisions can be overwhelming. As our world moves at an even faster pace, we get swept up in trying to figure out what is next. What is the next big thing we should be preparing for? What is around the corner? What is the next new technology?

Alternatively, there is something to be said for slowing down and for appreciating what we already have, to take care of what is already in place, to learn skills that help us keep what we have just a bit longer, rather than moving onto the new, shinier model.

For example, do you know that we have a shoe cobbler in McCook? Instead of just throwing your shoes away when they get a little bit worn down or the sole peels away on the bottom, they can sometimes be repaired. Not always, but more often than not, my shoe comes back not only wearable but almost as new.

The same goes for clothing. I know of one business downtown that does clothing alterations and repairs. And there are likely other seamstresses in our community who will help bring your worn-out clothing back to life.

We have appliance repair technicians who can fix just about anything, from an ice machine to lamps to washing machines.

We live in a throw-away society, where we use something once and toss it to the side. Rarely do we use something up before getting the new model. Additionally, you are not wrong when you think that things are now “built to break” rather than “built to last.” Manufacturers need things to break down, so you have to buy a new one. And they are not built to be repaired, so again, you have to buy a new one.

That is why it is so often cheaper to buy a new one of something rather than have it repaired.

My washer and dryer both recently gave up the fight after 15 years of hard use. What went out? The electronics. As so often is the case, it was more expensive to fix than to buy a new one.

Instead of buying new, I bought used appliances, and they are “old school.” No bells. No whistles. No “motherboard” that will go out sooner or later.

I had to re-teach my kids how to do laundry. Instead of pushing two or three buttons to start a load, you actually have to turn a knob and pull it out. Just a machine that keeps on doing its job - washing and drying clothes.

In reality, this idea of being resourceful isn’t new in our household, as we recycle and drive our vehicles until they won’t drive anymore. This may have had an impact on my children, which I didn’t realize until they started their careers.

When my oldest son comes back to McCook, people flock around him like he is a movie star. I get calls wondering when he is going to be back in town. I get texts asking when I will see him again.

What does he do? He repairs sewing machines, any style, any brand, any age. He is a seamster, repairing any and all sorts of clothing. And he is a fashion designer, creating clothing from previously used materials - even couches.

This is not something he considered doing when he graduated from high school. This was not a career that was promoted through the job testing. It is something he found a passion for along the way and has created a career around bringing machines back into use and turning scraps of material into wearable clothing.

He does use technology, selling his clothing line online and maintaining digital records and billing. But his career is physically repairing sewing machines and reusing material to build pieces of clothing, giving them all a second chance at life.

As our young people consider what is next, we have to be realistic that we will continue to use technology. Computers are not going away. Robots and artificial intelligence will be everywhere. We will need young people who are adept at using these resources.

But we also need to remind them that these other skills and professions are just as valuable. Our tradespeople are needed in our community now more than ever, from construction crews to repairmen and women.

And finally, we need to remind them to be resourceful. Consider how to use what we already have available, whether it is recovering furniture to sell or repurposing buildings for a new business. After all, it takes all kinds of people, skills and jobs to keep a community thriving and growing.