Dear Friends of The Blue Purl,
A true story: A friend once talked about how his wife used to cut the ends off of her roast before she put it in the pot. “Why do you do that?’’ he asked her.
“Because that’s how my mother did it, and she was a great cook,’’’ his wife replied.
So our friend went and asked his mother-in-law, “Why do you cut the ends off of the meat off the roast before you cook it?”
“So it fits in my pot,’’ she replied, “I had a very small pot.’’
We all operate on autopilot all the time because we need to. We take lessons learned, file them away, and then let them guide us. And for most tasks, that’s the right thing to do. But sometimes it takes a great disruption for us to pause and ask ourselves, “Is this the best way to do things?”
Now that we can not really gather, we have to keep our distance, cover our faces and wash our hands -- how can we get done what we want to get done?
For the most part, it has made the love of our work a bit harder. But there is an upside to forcing us to rethink everything, and to ask, how do we help you succeed and grow and still preserve our health?
One way we have learned is through video, or zoom taught classes. We started a new round yesterday, and while we miss the camaraderie of being together, we see value in really being able to see the instructors hands and having to figure out how to repair your own mistakes. We have heard from friends who told us they like the video classes, because they can go on vacation and still participate.
Whether we keep that going in some form is on the table.
One accommodation that we do not plan to continue once we get the all clear, is the need for social distancing. Right now, we are restricted by law -- and public health practice -- to only have three people in the store at a time. Because of the limitations, and in order to serve as many people as possible, we are not able to provide help with corrections. But once this is past, then yes, of course, we will be back at the tables. Then we can resume helping in person with fixing, too.
But for now, we need to continue to abide by the government rules with just a few people in the shop at a time.
One more story, if you will stick with us a bit longer. In 2014, the staff of the London Underground went on strike, forcing many thousands of commuters to find different ways to get to and from work. Yes, for most, it was an inconvenience and added time to the commute. But when it was all over and the strikers went back to work, officials learned that 1 in 20 commuters stuck with their new routes.
Amazing: Forced out of autopilot by the strike, they found a more convenient way to get to work.
Perhaps this will happen to us, too. With the great disruption that is the year 2020 upon us, let’s look for the positive things we have changed.
And if that hasn’t convinced you, just come by, look at our new yarn, and let us help you figure out what your next project should be.
We at The Blue Purl have clicked off autopilot. Everyday is about doing our best -- for you.
connect & create
Patty & Wendy
