The past few weeks have been amazing—a journey I never sought or expected to take, but one that has challenged me and helped me grow. It has also given me the chance to think again about what counts as knowledge and the different structures of knowledge. Nature of knowledge–powerful stuff. Yes, I’ll explain all of that in just a moment!
First, I’ll update you on the production. The Tender Defender Travel Packs are done!! Sort of. The little packets produced by Xela Pack, an environmentally conscious packager who also happens to be local (limited transport—great for the carbon footprint), are done. Also, the secondary packaging for the Travel Packs is done. Now they have to be put together. All 25,000 of them. Eep! I’m calling all friends and family who have some spare time to join the assembly line as we marry these two gorgeous pieces into Travel Packs to be given out to a lucky few (more about that in a moment!) and sold across the country.
I’m so proud of the finished product! Our graphics designer was amazing. She did magnificent work! The Tender Defender gel itself is unrivaled. Someone described the smell as “magical,” and that’s exactly right. As more and more people report in on how they have used it or plan to use it, our excitement grows. (The latest use? Hockey rash!)
The next few weeks will be give-away time! Interested in getting a free Travel Pack?
The first 500 people to sign up for our mailing list will get free Travel Packs when they’re ready to ship. (After initial shipment, we will ship every other week.) So don’t wait—sign up NOW! See the side column of many of our pages or sign up directly and then update your preferences (see welcome email for instructions) to make sure we have your mailing address.
Moms or other caretakers, if you have a blog and are willing to try the Travel Pack and write about your experience, give us your web address and we may give you promo codes to share with your readers. Share the freebies!
Here’s the really wonderful thing that I’ve been thinking about lately. It’s about the structure and nature of knowledge. What do we know, how do we know it, and what counts as knowledge? I got my bachelor’s degree in physics, so I know how to think like a “western” scientist. I value measurable outcomes, replicable procedures, and “objective” observations. This part of me embraces the chemistry of our formulation, and loves that each batch will have just exactly the same concentration of aloe, the same small portion of citric acid, and the same balance of apricot and rosehip carrier oils. Those amounts are all predetermined, their mixing procedures set in stone, and all of it is very scientific. I find that very comforting!
On the other hand, the essential oil blend is done with more intuition by an expert with an extraordinary nose for undertones and understanding of the interactions of bio-active ingredients. She blends these oils together with the skill of a virtuosa, bringing together the sounds of a symphony orchestra to a magnificent crescendo. She is no less systematic than the scientists, but what counts as knowledge is a little different. A chemist might require chromatography to analyze the purity of an essential oil, but she can feel its life force and smell its purity. (Of course, she also takes steps to ensure the highest quality of oil by tracing its provenance carefully. This is no willy-nilly operation!) What counts as knowledge for our essential oil expert is very different from what counts as knowledge for our scientists. Objectivity comes from assistants who confirm her work with their own trained senses and intuition. Procedures are based on the needs of the oils to work together and breathe. Replicability is achieved when the product is mixed and that absolutely magical scent strikes the senses, telling us that she got it just right again.
Is this process any less systematic than what we scientists do? Is it any less legitimate? I think not. I’m deeply proud to know that Tender Defender is a joint collaboration between science and art, observation and intuition, and mind and body.
As a mother, I’m reminded of the constant challenge I face in bringing up a well-balanced child in a society that favors one way of knowing over others. I hope I can support her to be objective and intuitive in mind, spirit, heart, body. I hope I can help her develop appreciation for multiple ways of knowing and thinking and not be too quick to judge those whose perspectives are vastly different from her own. What a tremendous challenge! One day at a time…
