Not always disposable

Dear Editor,

My iPhone died and as many of you know it’s my major methodof staying connected particularly when I travel. I have a friend Adam (whom Isuspect is more comfortable with technology than most people) who told menot to get a new one that he could fix mine for under twenty dollars. If itwere anyone else I’d have said no thank you, and to be honest I really didn’tthink he could pull it off. That being said I like Adam and it made him happyto do me a favor and the idea of fixing something versus replacing appealed tome.
So, last night Adam showed up with the smallest and oddest looking collectionof tools I’ve ever seen. He performed the most remarkable surgery on my phonein matter of minuets he had the phone broken down to its individual componentsand laid out in precise order on my breakfast bar. Holly smacks, there werelittle screws so small that I could only recognize them as being screws bylooking at them through a magnifying glass. I was gobsmacked! (to say theleast) I mean watchmakers would have likely said “Wow! Those are some smallparts.” Did this slow Adam’s progress? Why no it did not he charged on withsurgical procession remarking on the various bits of my phone’s anatomy as hewent.
Two hours later, well after I learned more about an iPhone than I ever cared toask, my phone was reassembled, the errant and naughty bits had been replacedand discarded and my phone was back to it’s old reliable self. I felt like Iwas picking up an old friend from the hospital after a nasty scare rather thanhaving an item fixed.
I know it’s just a phone but wow, what an experience. And after all of thatAdam wouldn’t take a cent, not even for the parts. He apparently enjoyed doingit and that he enjoyed me watching awe struck well enough that he felt alreadywell compensated.
It’s nice in our disposable society that there are still people who take thetime and effort to fix things rather than discarding then. Hats off to Adam andthose of you like him.
Vince Clark
Oroville

A ray of sunshine

DearEditor,

I agreewith Bill Slusher and his latest OP Ed. In a nutshell, the common saying “whenthe going gets tough, the tough get going” is never more appropriate  thanduring a recession and economic downturn. Getting a job is all aboutpersistence and hard work. The only thing I would add is this: Get an educationtoo! – When I interview for a position at my company, even a little bit ofcollege has an impact on how I perceive the person in front of me. Educationhas been proven over and over to be the most important key to long term successand financial stability.

GregJames

Mercer Island, Wash.

Brightness fading

Dear Editor,

During the approximately three years that we have been ina deep recession, more Americans then ever have lost faith in our civiliangovernmental institutions, which constitute both elected representatives andhired/appointed employees at both the federal and state levels.

To simplify the subject, it could be said that the moralcharacter of our government has largely disappeared. This characteristic is notjust present in the USA, one only needs to look at the events that haveoccurred in northern Africa and the Middle East over the past several months.Many countries that make up the European Union are also plagued by large scalecitizen dissatisfaction and moderate to severe economic difficulties.

It is sadly apparent that the shining brightness ofhumanity has begun to fade. It is up to those of us who can remember a pastera of high moral standards and creativity in America and along with otherindividuals outside of government who can visualize a better society, to impartthe positive values of philosophy, virtue, inspiration and wisdom to all thoseinterested.

Let us get started. Today.

Ray Gattavara

Auburn, Wash.

Owed debt of gratitude

Dear Editor,

     Enjoy your Labor Day holiday?The reason we celebrate Labor Day is largely because of the contributionsmade by unions to the betterment of America’s workers. The numerousbeneficial influences of organized labor cannot be ignored. Most ofthe benefits workers now enjoy are directly attributable to unions. To cite buta few: the 40-hour work week; paid holidays and vacations; sick leave;grievance procedures, collective bargaining and generally superior wages.

    Unfortunately,succeeding generations have come to take those benefits for granted. Thosebenefits came about because of unions and soon became the norm forunion workers and many non-union workers as well.

    AllAmerican workers owe a debt of gratitude to Organized Labor for itsachievements.   

Paul G.Jaehnert

Vadnais Heights, Minn.