Eager to check out the Fix-It-Fair as much as to escape the Saturday morning downpour, I ducked into Collins Hall. The familiar smell of coffee and treats pulled me toward the kitchen, where I found some of the core members of Bowen in Transition.
Kim Kasasian, who spearheaded the Fix-It-Fair, beamed with enthusiasm: “My intention for the day is to get people to get things fixed, and maybe to learn to fix things, but the real thing is to break through that idea that you just dump it in the garbage and go and buy a new one. I thought that people liked to dump things in the garbage, and what I’m seeing is, I’m wrong! They’re thrilled to have the handle of the measuring cup put back on, and the leg of the footstool fixed.”
Indeed, the hall was filled, as much with the invited fixers as with those looking for knowledge and repairs, and just interested people lending a hand. Councillor Melanie Mason barely made it across the room with her European-wired globe before Charles Rudd took an interest, and explained to her how she could replace the British plug with a North American one, herself. He never intended to share that bit of expertise; he was just checking out the Fix-It-Fair, and the opportunity to help presented itself.
Kim was delighted with the camaraderie in the room. Indeed, there were many small gatherings of people, all interested in the opportunity to learn and share experiences, whether over sock darning, mending, or furniture, electronic or mechanical repair. The communal atmosphere was pretty wonderful.
As Reed and Philip Bement sat reassembling Karen Heath’s busted Dust Buster, Reed talked about his vision for an open workspace for youth: “You know what a hacker space is – the idea is it’s a place where kids could go to work on their projects, maybe with a mentor sitting around to help them.” This is just an early whisper of a change I see coming to Bowen, nudged gently along by the Bowen In Transition group. Back in the kitchen, Jacqueline Massey point out, “part of it will actually help inform people about what a skilled community we have, so that we can actually have an inventory of all these fantastic skills and resources that are available on Bowen.”
That inventory is beginning, already. BIT has created the Bowen Green Guide, at http://bowengreenguide.com/ It looks like a fabulous step in a very positive direction.
