by Kevin G. Summers
I
volunteered at Harpers Ferry National Park for several years leading up to the 150th anniversary of John Brown's 1859 raid. I spent most of that time in the John Brown museum, explaining the story of the infamous abolitionist to visitors. Their comments ranged from reverent to reviling, as Brown is still considered a controversial figure even to this day. I spent significantly less time in period costume, working in the men's dry goods store, but it is that time that I want to write about today. In the dry goods store at Harpers Ferry is a perfectly preserved sewing machine from the 1860s. Built from iron and wood, it is a beautiful machine that would be the centerpiece of any antique collection. Trust me, if you caught a glimpse of this sewing machine, you would want it for your living room. And in spite of the years, the damn thing still works! It is a 44
relic from a time when machines were built to be both functional and aesthetic. After 150 years, this machine is still both. As I'm flying across the United States today, finalizing this issue of SubTel Forum, I'm thinking about the things we build. This airplane, a 747, is certainly functional, but it is neither aesthetic nor comfortable. This plane will get me from Dulles to San Francisco (hopefully) and the next will carry me to Honolulu, but would anyone in their right mind call it a thing of beauty? I'm writing this article on a 2009 15" MacBook Pro. It's a sleek computer, as aesthetic as a laptop can get in my opinion, and it is certainly functional, but I'll be lucky to get 2 more years of life out of it. 5 years is about the most you can hope for from a computer these days, assuming you don't drop it in the
parking lot. I love my Mac, but it's not built to withstand years and years of use. It's a disposable tool. Hell, by 2014, most people will probably be using iPads instead of laptops! I'm sure you've read this issue's Letter to a Friend by Jean Devos. I'd like to reemphasize his final point. We are in business to make money, but the work shouldn't just be about the money. We're changing the world with our cables. We make history every single day, and it's important to recognize that. Thanks Jean!
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