This is a scene from just outside of the gates of the main campus of C.I.T. Students don’t exactly come to university with deep pockets. Many students come from poor homes and the extra money just isn’t there. So services such as this seamstress, allow students to better manage their meagre allowances. In a society that demands that people become self-sufficient, there is no expectation that parents or society “owes” either students or workers anything. Sacrifices need to be made; choices need to be made.
Since society has these expectation, society makes allowances for the expectations to be met. Thus, people such as this seamstress are allowed to set up shop on the sidewalk allowing business costs to be kept to a minimum. Here in North America, there are countless numbers of regulations for the operation of private enterprises such as this one. More often than not, our policies and regulations create roadblocks which kill initiative and have the welfare roles swell.
Something to think about. That said, life isn’t easy for those on the bottom of the economic ladder anywhere in the world.
I really admire the ‘make do’ mentality in China – almost anything can be recycled, almost everything can be repaired.
Students survive on very little money per semester, they live in conditions that western students would refuse to and still work hard, rarely complain and for the most part are incredibly friendly and willing to help out.
Chinese parents have to be doing something right!!
It is my thought that we could do well to copy some of this “make do” mentality in North America. We would become richer is so many ways.