Catastrophic Education: A Journey of Quality and Experience
I am still determining where I first heard this phrase and the description provided, so I will give my good friend Bob McCamy the credit. Most things I know in the kitchen business have been picked up from my adult lifetime friendship with Bob, so he gets the credit and the blame for this one!
We all likely have experienced having a fine quality item for the first time: our first 100% fine cotton shirt, our first delicate silk bedsheets or clothing, our first leather interior in a car, or maybe our initial first-class travel experience. In any case, we know the experience was a really nice one. It is when we realize we have been exposed to "the best" and don't want to return to what we had before. Our measure of quality and excellence has moved up a notch. We have just experienced what I have come to know as "catastrophic education."
My daughters were both born into this. I started in business before their birth, and the first house their mother and I built for them had a fine-quality cabinet made by Coppes Nappanee, a company no longer in business, sadly. The house was modest, one not usually suited for an upscale luxury kitchen. But the fact is that when I saw my first really finely crafted cabinetry, I was overcome with my first catastrophic education. I could never go back to how I had learned to build cabinetry and what the "standard" was in the local industry.
A recent client had a firsthand experience that was very painful. She grew up in the northeast US, where WoodMode cabinetry, our flagship product, is a quality standard for builders and consumers. She had a WoodMode kitchen for many years living there and had somewhat taken it for granted. When she moved to NC, her then-builder told her that WoodMode was too expensive for her home and that they could get her a product that was "just as good" for a lot less money. Her catastrophic education (in reverse!) had kicked in the minute she felt the finish on the doors and the quality of the interiors. She was distraught and, in her words, "hated every minute she was in her kitchen." It was sad to see her distress, but fortunately, she had the resources to have us improve her kitchen with a few upgrades and replace her cabinetry. She now "loves her kitchen" and says so demonstrably each time we meet.
It is expected to want to save money whenever possible. There are, in fact, many products in the market that are overpriced or are only a name brand. However, once we begin to research and perform our due diligence, we often find that these higher-priced products provide us a much more pleasant experience. My automobile is a perfect example. I cringed at the cost of moving up to the brand and model I purchased. It was far more than I had ever spent on a vehicle. However, every time I get behind the wheel, I enjoy it so much and am pleased I went for it. It was not yet in my value system or experience, but now it is. My own catastrophic education!
I recognize many cannot experience any of this due to their life circumstances. I get it; I have been there. However, I cannot apologize for being fortunate enough to be moderately successful and now afford a few "perks" in life. May you also have the good fortune to experience your own catastrophic education!
Addendum:
After writing this and attributing it to my lifelong friend Bob McCamy, Bob’s wife of 65+ years, Jean passed away. Jean was every bit as influential in my life as Bob was. She was a “second mom” to me, a great supporter of me even when I screwed up in life, and “graced” me with her friendship, family, and company all of my adult life. (Family and friends will know why Grace was in quotes; it was her mother’s and her granddaughter’s names, both forces of their own!) She will be sorely missed, but my life was so much better for knowing and having her in my life. Peace and love to her and her family.