I think the process is that it is a very small shop of artisans, with a very long waiting list of customers. And it is my guess that not only do these people devote many hours to handcrafting instruments; but they also have lives away from work as well. Those who have placed custom orders in the past, as well as those who have had instruments repaired or modified, know that it can take a very long time, and that patience is required. I must admit that when I read Jeff?s post, my initial reaction was that I thought the comment to be hurtful. Two weeks, I said to myself, the guy is complaining after only two weeks. But it does occur to me now that perhaps, as he has stated, he really does not understand the process. I have to admit that I do read most of the posts to this forum, so I am quite aware of how patient you need to be with a custom order. We've watched projects in the FTC section that have taken well over a year. On several occasions, basses have been very close to completion, waiting only for one thing, such as something coming back from the plater, only to have the work to be sent back two or three times adding weeks of waiting. However, I guess most folks don?t read all the posts (which is quite understandable, there are other things in life to do besides sit in from of the computer reading about string tension ), and there are probably some who do not realize that the people at Alembic are working on quite a large number of projects at once, most of which have been in process many months. Still, the tone of Jeff?s comment seemed inappropriate. And as Susan's response indicates, the tone was indeed hurtful. In his last post Jeff stated that no offense should be taken. This phrase is a standard response used frequently by Americans; but consider it?s meaning. Offense had been given; a complaint had been made in a public forum in front on a very large number of Alembic's other customers, which made clear that Jeff was quite displeased with the level of service he was receiving. I think it understandable that offense was taken. Perhaps it was not Jeff?s intention to offend; perhaps he did not realize such a remark could be hurtful. Perhaps the tone of his remark is the standard method of communication among the people that Jeff works with on a daily basis. Perhaps it has been his experience that such comments get results. I don't know.
I do realize that my own comments here may be taken as offensive as well; and I think that is understandable. And for that I do apologize. It is not my intention to be hurtful to Jeff or anyone else. But, given the narrow context of posts to the forum, I guess I'm thinking that these comments might be helpful to all of us. That perhaps we could all stand to pause and consider that it may be the case that true happiness does not arise from the possession of things, that it may be the case that true happiness arises from the practice of treating others and ourselves with compassion and mindfulness. It is not an easy thing to do. Unfortunately, those of us who live in the US live in a society that stresses consumerism and selfishness above all else. This attitude has become pervasive and is constantly reinforced through television and other media. While many Americans consider themselves to be ?religious? people, it does appear that selfishness rather than selflessness drives the majority of our actions; it does appear that we believe that only through the accumulation of things and the consumption of goods and services that we will become happy. This self-centeredness is the real religion of Americans; for it is the behavior that our society instills in us, it is the belief system that our society teaches its young.
Our society has taught us that it is our right to become upset when we have to stand in line at the grocery store, when the car in front of us is too slow, when the waitress is slow to refill our drink. Our society teaches us that it is ok to voice our displeasure with others, to be hurtful to others in the mistaken belief that we will gain from such actions. It is in such a context that we make comments that can be hurtful to others without even thinking about it. Such behavior is endemic in American society.
But it doesn?t have to be that way. We can each endeavor to change ourselves. It is difficult and requires much practice. It requires mindfulness of our thoughts and actions. It requires the cultivation of compassion toward others. It?s like the process of becoming a good musician; it takes a lot of practice.
Or not. I imagine that many if not most Americans will not agree with what I have written here; and that?s understandable and I accept that. I don?t know why I have spent the morning writing this for posting here; but it does seem that these thoughts might be worth mentioning in the present context. And again, I apologize to those of you who find my comments offensive. It is not my intention to offend, only to offer my opinions and observations as related to the current context in that some here may find them helpful or worthy of reflection.
And it does occur to me that since all of the above was written before my first cup of coffee was finished, it may be the case that none of this makes any sense whatsoever.
Now I need to get another cup of coffee and go practice my scales.
