Drivers Seats, Bolts and Masks

The Pandemic Pantry

The Drivers Seat has always interested me. The interface, the interaction between person and machine. They are always somewhat personalized, reflecting the soul of the driver. Some machines play symphonies, some cross the ocean. There are all kinds of “drivers seats”. I’ve taken pictures of various “drivers seats” over the years.

This is one I’d love to take for a spin:

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This is the drivers seat of the New York Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. The conductors podium. It’s got a manual, notice the almost perfectly obsessive placement of ‘The Stick”. I know she sounds great at full bore, and sweet at idle. She demands respect. I know she’s particular and responsive to the right driver.

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Here’s a picture of me in the drivers seat of an airbus A-380. The flagship of the Lufthansa fleet and the largest Jetliner in service. All of those gauges on the dashboard are screens – and you can move the instruments anywhere you want them. My hand is on the joystick. You fly the thing with a joystick!

My sister is passionate about several things. She is a music arranger, voice coach, career coach to the stars (and kids). Her connections go deep and broad. She makes one-off wedding dresses for people she loves, and she makes costumes for the opera. When the Governor put out an urgent request for masks, she started doing that immediately. She sat in the drivers seat of many of my outrageous cars. Now i’ve had the privilege of sitting in her drivers seat, though I can’t drive them worth a stitch.

Bolts

This rural house has closets everywhere, many are the size of rooms. They are full of bolts. The bolts are incredibly heavy.

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The bolts get cut into smaller pieces and end up in bins

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The various materials for the current run are stacked next to the drivers seat. She makes one mask at a time, by hand.

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View from the sewing drivers seat

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Here’s the drivers seat where execution occurs.

where the conductors podium has a stick, This drivers seat is operated by a foot pedal.

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And Masks come out. one-off, one at a time.

Many people find the elastic uncomfortable, so these masks have ties.

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Then get mailed or hand delivered.

The personal drivers seat, knitting.

There is a knitting/crochet station. Lately sis seems to be making way too many little baby booties.

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The professional drivers seat

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She knows where every score, ever page, every note is. She plays this part by ear.

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This drivers seat has pedals, but they just enhance the experience rather than enable it. This instrument is driven by hand.

Art is the answer.

What does your drivers seat look like? Post it in the comments.

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