Chairmakers for the Global Village

When I was in college, long before there was an internet, the books of Marshall McLuhan were under many arms on the campus.  His signature line, "the medium is the message," distilled his theory that new media change the scale or pace or pattern of human affairs in ways superior to and independent of the information conveyed.  Moreover, he thought, the connections created by electronics media would convert the world to a "global village."

One day John called from Seattle and Jennifer called from Brooklyn.  John liked rocking and woodworking and needed to replace a chair near rocked apart and deemed ugly by his wife.  Jennifer was expecting twins in two months and could not get comfortable in any chair in her apartment.  Also, she had a great deal of nurturing in her future.  John’s wife found us in a web search and recommended that he study our site.  Friends of Jennifer recommended that she look at our website and consider our chairs.

From viewing this site, John and Jennifer likely knew as much about our company, and found us just as easily, as they would have had we been from the same neighborhood.  Given that background, our phone conversations soon became warm, friendly, and a pleasure.

After the phone calls I told Leslie that I loved this business.  I get to talk to people all over the continent and world and build them furniture.  My patrons know that I work with my family and that we build furniture with care.  I know that my patrons are expecting a child, or celebrating an anniversary, or building a house.  I get birth announcements.  This looks, sounds, and feels like community to me.