Labor

There are many differences in life-style between USA and India; One of them being “Labor” work.




As a kid, I remember when we shifted to a new home; we wanted to build Furniture suited for our new apartment. We went for shopping and just 2 streets down found a furniture shop. Spoke long and hard with owner “Mani Ram” which involved not only the price fix for the furniture that we wanted but also what kind of furniture.



Talks between Maniram and father involved stories from Past, Present and Future. Negotiation was also the key part of that conversation. Price was fixed, Wood was choosen, color was selected, days were decided and everything was finalized.



Maniram and his workers spend about 3 days to build and set-up entire furniture. Those 3 days involved lots of talks. We lived in that place for more than 20 years, plenty of time, furniture or small things related to furniture required help of “Maniram”. Maniram and his resources were more than welcome to help (with some labor charges of course). Those 3 days spend though; build a relationship of a life time and names to remember for ever.



Today, I went to Wal-Mart, to get a piece of furniture to put my books on. A book-shelf was given to me with 6 pieces of cheap wood and few screws and one piece of paper. I hardly remember the name of Company which builds this item. I can hardly say “build” because, they don’t build anything, and they just sell woods. I hardly remember the name of person who was at the counter of “Wal-Mart”. It’s not just the human interaction which is out of fashion or equation, but its also a slap on the very concept of “Community Living”.



Whenever a community is being built, it involves various kinds of skills. Someone is good in cutting hairs or electronics or fashion or medicine or building roads or building furniture etc etc. By selling cheap piece of woods, you are promoting an idea, that particular skill is so easy that you can learn it by reading one piece of paper. Why would you bother hiring a furniture guy or calling a labor who can fix small furniture/electronics problem at your home? Learn it on your own, Fix it on your own, Be your own destiny, Be Free, Be Independent, Be Good in everything (at least all small things) and the end-feel “superiority”. Problem is synonym of the word, “superiority” is “Arrogance”.



When you no longer require help from someone to fix your furniture, you just killed job(s) of hundreds of thousands of “Labor” Work. Its not just one simple job that you got rid of, then comes few more. Why should I go and cut my hair somewhere, I can do it myself. Why should I go and pay for Oil Change, I can do it myself and so on. Think twice before you start doing job of others, because soon, someone will start doing yours too.



Create Jobs not Destroy them!!!