Today was a little different than my usual Wednesdays. Although it's the summer holidays, I went to Lily's school in order to get some of the needed work done on the room her class is in.
It's a Waldorf school that relies on the cooperation of parents, which is great. Parents should be involved in their schools in some way, and not just drop off their kids and drive away. Each family makes lunch for 1/3 of the school every 3 weeks, we have workshops for parents, we do "mingas" to clean up the compound - and we build. A lot.
As coincidence wants it, Galenkp wrote about what one has built yesterday, and Tarazkp about experience. And here I am, writing about those two things together.
Let's start with the experience. In this case, it's the teamwork. Although we didn't really work in that constellation a lot, as two were new, it was easy to notice that each one of us was an experienced worker. I was actually impressed by how well we worked together. Nobody stood around doing nothing, whenever a task was done, we automatically looked around for the next one.
There was no boss.
One of us was a carpenter, so when there was a question, we asked him and he naturally lead the way, anyway. We all had done some woodwork at home, as any adult our age should have and knew our ways around tools, so he didn't need to give full instructions on everything. On the contrary - when he started drilling a hole, someone would automatically pick up the electric screwdriver and put the screws in. When he'd mark something to saw, someone was there to hold the wood, another one picked the broom to clean right away.
Is that what work can be like?
I'm used to having to lead people, teaching them incentive, pushing them to become better. Sometimes even to bossing, throwing jobs at them so they don't do nothing, just because they didn't get another order. Working together with motivated, experienced and what we call "pilas" (battery, but more or less means smart or someone that has a spark) here was very, very pleasant.
Not only there.
The bakery is coming around, too. As I commented on Galenkp's post, I feel very much in whole these days, "together" as he framed it. I think that is rubbing off. I'm finding better solutions to "manage my human resources", and am a better leader, leading to better results. The baguette I had yesterday... best one in a very long time. Made by the guy I had most problems with. But I can't tell him, because for some reason, as soon as I tell him that he did a great job, he turns around and does something awful. And no, that's not exaggerated, I could tell you stories...
But that's not important right now.
I talked to a friend the other day about natural leadership and authority, a concept that is very important in Anarchism. It's a kind of authority that is gained my merit, by involvement into the community, and through skills. At our Farmer's Market, I was never elected to be a leader. I wasn't even the one who started it, but just by being a part of it for 10 years and having done a lot of work for it to prosper, I've become an authority. Also because my friend, the person who started the whole thing, relies on my skill set for some important tasks.
That's not politics.
The market is a dictatorship. She says what's what, and that's it. Arguments can be made, things can be discussed, feedback is taken into account, but there's not much more to it. She decides. And it works fine. Not because she "owns" it, but because she's just fantastic at what she does, and she has brought a lot of wealth to our community.
Enough experience.
The building part was supposed to be easy. Thick plywood on the ground to level everything out (the unevenness was the problem before), some polystyrene in the middle to avoid some of the noise, and then linoleum floor on top.
We started out very fast, but in the end, things got stuck - the flooring was second hand and a gift, but if you ever worked with second hand linoleum floor, you know that it's more of a white elephant (yes, I had to look that idiom up).
It was somewhat dirty, had probably been in humid climate for a while (some basement I guess), and had many flaws. While the first part was done within an hour, it took us 4 hours to get 40% of the classroom done. And we only took one 10min break to drink something.
So, in conclusion - yes, sometimes it's better to look a gift horse into the mouth. It might've cost less to just buy the floor new and get it done as quickly as linoleum is supposed to be installed.
And secondly - there are small tastes of utopia out there. Just a bite, and then it's back into stupidity. But that bite can go a long way.
Yes, that's what work can be like when you get a motivated team of self-starters. When each plays to his strengths, there's no boss required.
Exactly! I miss that. A lot. For one, I miss not having to be the one telling people what to do. For second, being around people who don't mind working, who just do what needs to be done. It's good to get a little bit of that.
You know what the best part of these pictures are? It isn't one of those fake "workerbee" type events where more people are standing around a bbq and selling cake compared to working. And there's a distinct lack of people getting in the way of the actual work.
I have participated in such things. I've done paving, I've rejuvenated a bowling green (and moved about 50T of sand in a day in a wheel barrow - horrific work!) - and these days of the community getting together are really rewarding.
But I don't get the pay off from it. I don't do lawn bowls. I don't walk on that paved path. But I remember the hurt, and while the people that walk on that paths and bowl on that green may not even know that I exist, I did something to leave the world a (better?!) place.
At least Lily gets the pay-off from it, as she will benefit from a better floor. I didn't quite understand what the big deal was, but hey, I'm a mere grunt in this. Still gotta work up the ranks until make decisions. But I should be there, soon 🤣
And yes, it was actual work. When we got into the 3-people-working period, one of us went to get a nice bottle of cold beer, and I went to clean all the linoleum sheets and see if they're valid. That beer (1 liter among 5) was all. Back to work!
200ml each!
They're working you too hard! (Or ensuring that you don't operate power tools while absolutely fall-down drunk)
Yeah I was about to take it as an insult, given my cultural background. But it was a nice gesture. I inhaled and exhaled profoundly, and the anger was gone. So was the alcohol, but hey, at least I didn't cut off any finger, neither on purpose nor off purpose.
That's the greatest achievement of woodwork- not the table or chair you build, or the A-Frame, or whatever, but putting your hands in your pockets at the end of the day and still having all the fingers you were born with.
... and then pull out those hands, spiked with screws and nails that you had put in your pockets.
That's what tetanus shots are for! Just keep one in your pocket at all times when woodworking :D I had to get a tetanus shot the day of my bachelor party. I was cleaning the gutters in the morning, cut myself on them, then proceeded to get very drunk and get everyone to punch me in the arm as hard they could where I had the shot.
I had a bruise for about 3 months.
Great job! It would have definitely been faster and easier to just buy new flooring. Used linoleum is garbage!
!PIZZA
!BBH
I think so, too. It might take us another day just to set the rest of the floor. Among 4 people, that's enough to buy a new floor 😅
!BBH
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