The Case for Working With Your Hands

Recently, the NY Times published an articled entitled, "The Case For Working With Your Hands,"  which resonates with me.  The author, Matthew Crawford, a Ph.D. turned motorcycle mechanic, argues that our society has placed too much emphasis on "knowledge workers" at the expense of those who work with their hands.  Crawford argues, that often his job now as a motorcycle mechanic is more difficult and rewarding, then his days musing philosophical conundrums in the Ivy Tower or working at a think tank on K Street in D.C., in part because his decisions often have real consequences, every answer is not in a manual--he has to figure things out, and he has to be creative every day.  Furthermore, at the end of the day you have a result--the motorcycle works or it doesn't.  The irony of the knowledge worker is that often creativity is not encouraged and an environment that theoretically should be intellectual is not.

Summer Rolls with Soy Ginger Dipping SauceI'm not ready to give up my desk job yet, but I think that Crawford articulates many of the reasons why I love to cook.  I get to be creative (something I am not rewarded for in my job), I modify recipes based on what has or hasn't worked in the past, and in the end (hopefully) I have a delicious creation that is not only rewarding to me, but to whoever shares the meal.

Tonight, I am not only going to work with my hands, but I am going to eat with my hands!  We are going to have Summer Rolls with Avocado, Mango, and Shrimp.