Into 2011: Making stuff and small.

This year's theme came to me as I watched Mr. Rogers videos with Tiny Niece. We were both fascinated watching people make stuff, soothed into relaxation by quiet narration and gentle piano music. There go some painted red wagons, some fortune cookies, canvas sneakers, and bright yellow crayons. As I watched all this industry , I realized that the factories in these videos probably don't exist anymore, everyone laid off and all the cookie dough and crayon wax shipped overseas in search of a bigger profit margin.

It's easy to wax nostalgic about manufacturing gone by and forget pollution, bad labor practices, and Red Dye No. 2. But in the middle of it all, there is the making of things, the creating of something with hands and the help of machines that contribute in their own small way to someone's daily life. As Frank Sobotka said on The Wire, in the least Mr. Rogers way possible: "You know what the trouble is, Brucey? We used to make shit in this country, build shit. Now we just put our hand in the next guy's pocket."

So I think this year at the Hedge we will continue, in our own small way, to talk about making stuff - soups and calendars and music and communities and books and a life. If it was good enough for Mr. Rogers, it's more than a good path for us. We hope you join us.

Comments

[René]

I watched every single Mr. Rogers video, and they were completely mesmerizing. Oddly inspiring, too. Now I will go make stuff.