Things That Last

We have company coming tomorrow for dinner so I spent a large part of the day doing spring maintenance. I cut the grass and pulled weeds but I also painted our Adirondack chairs and the Wrought Iron tables and chairs. The Wrought Iron stuff has been a great investment. We bought them before we got married over thirty years ago and used them as our dining room at the trailer. They've been sitting on our deck for the past fifteen years and today after a fresh coat of paint, they look as good as new.
On the other hand, I bought a mop at Wal-Mart a while back and the other day when I retrieved the mop from our deck, part of the handle fell off. It was fairly inexpensive because like most stuff sold at Wal-Mart it was made in China but when you consider we only used the mop about four times the cost per use is considerable for a mop.
I got on the internet and located the Fuller Brush Company. I found a mop and it was more expensive. I wondered if their stuff is made in China too....so I sent them an email. They promptly sent me a note back to say that all of their products are made in America. They did confess that they sometimes gave away promotional gifts and there's a chance that some of those items could be made in China.
I ordered a mop and a broom. Now they are still quite new so I can't say with certainty that they will last longer, but I would be willing to bet that I'll get tired of looking at them before I wear them out.
I'm not sure at all how much "paying less" is actually costing America. The giant super store has been in the news lately for forcing the profit margins of suppliers so low that they suppliers cannot afford to manufacture goods here. If they want to keep the Wal-Mart business, they have to make their stuff off-shore. The people who were employed making those goods are now looking for a job. The president says that the outsourcing of jobs is good for the global economy and good for America....but I have to wonder what they guy in the unemployment line thinks. I also have to wonder if paying a few bucks less for a pair of jeans is worth his pain. I wonder if anyone on capitol hill has ever wondered where their next meal will come from?
Well, I started out lite talking about spring maintenance and then got heavy. That was not my intention....but I do intend to start looking for things that last, even if that means paying a little more.