+
Sign up for
The Upworthiest
Our top stories of the day delivered straight to your inbox.
upworthy
Business

A whole new generation wants to work with their hands

True

As AI makes daily headlines (and robots take over), I’ve been thinking more about the future of human work and the value of craftsmanship. Craftsmanship, the human trait that enables us to care for and love the work we produce, especially in the built environment.

Even as we make advancements and increase efficiencies in technology, the built world desperately needs more people who care about craft and want to work with their hands.

In construction specifically, the demand for housing—especially affordable housing—and safer roads and bridges is only increasing. And over 40% of skilled workers will retire in the next 10 years. We need new craftspeople more than ever. And, fast.
That’s why we started MT Copeland: to capture the craftsmanship seen in the built world around us (our homes, our workplaces, our cities), and help anyone learn directly from experienced professionals. We help craftspeople teach the skills they use on the job every day, and inspire others to make a career move into skilled careers. Carpenters, entrepreneurs building homes, painters, and even first-time homeowners can now use methods from generations past to make projects better.

The attention to detail in drywall, painting, or cabinet making requires a unique combination of technical prowess, problem-solving abilities, and an artistic eye. It’s the kind of work made only possible by human touch. Just when it starts to feel like everything’s destined to be automated, remember: some things simply must be made by human hands.

Keep ReadingShow less
Internet

Parents are applauding a woman that refused to change seats so a mom could sit next to her kids

"Nope. If it's not an upgrade it's a sacrifice."

Natalia Cárdenas|Canva and Tammy Nelson|TikTok

Woman refuses to change seats for mom and kids

Traveling with preteens and teens is a breeze in comparison to traveling with little ones but as a parent you still want to sit near your kiddos in case they need you for anything. If you've traveled on an airline in the last several years, you know it's much cheaper to chose the basic seats in the main cabin.

There's nothing different about these particular seats other than the airline sort of randomly selects your seat and if you're traveling alone, that's really not a bad deal. The risk gets to be a little higher if you're traveling with a party that you'd like to keep together - like your children. One mom took the risk and banked on a stranger accommodating...that's not quite how it played out.

Keep ReadingShow less
refuses to change seats
Joy

Dad accidentally tells child their mom has rabies and it makes for an amusing 'story time'

She did not ask about rabies, but that's what Dad heard.

Xavier Lorenzo|Canva and Suzanne White|TikTok

Dad tells child their mom has rabies in hilarious misunderstanding.

Whether we are parents by birth, adoption or kinship care, we have all halfway listen to a child when they're being a bit too talkative or when we're almost asleep. Sometimes that means agreeing to a snack we didn't realize they asked for until they walk into the room chomping away. Other times it means accidentally telling kids a ridiculous lie, then having to clean up so they don't go repeating it.

One dad, Dillon White, found himself in the latter category when his daughter asked him if having babies hurt—except he didn't hear "babies." He thought his daughter had asked about rabies and proceeded to tell her details about the horrible disease, which she repeated to her younger brother.

Dillon, who surely thought he was killing it at this parenting thing, did not realize his mistake until his wife, Suzanne White, sat him down in front of a camera.

Keep ReadingShow less
funny videos
Joy

They watched their wedding cake crash to the ground. The groom's reaction was perfection.

Oh, she married a good one.

Carsten Vollrath/Canva

Imagine watching your four-tier wedding cake hitting the ground before you even get a bite.

It's quite common for people to fantasize about their wedding day—the ceremony, the bridal party, the dress, the cake—and some people spend months or even years meticulously planning every detail. People even spend thousands of dollars hiring wedding planners to make sure that the big day stays fully organized and all the moving parts come together without a hitch.

But no matter how well you plan, sometimes things that simply can't be predicted happen. And how you and your beloved handle the hitches and glitches on your wedding day can say a lot.

Especially when that hitch or glitch is something major…like watching the beautiful, four-tier wedding cake—the one you spent time choosing and lots of money creating to share with your wedding guests—come crashing to the ground right in front of you.

Keep ReadingShow less
weddings
Joy

Cop surprises boy with PlayStation after police were called on him for offering yard work

"Officer Colleran, a gamer himself, was impressed with the young man and thought he would help him reach his goal."

City of Hapeville Police/Facebook

Hope they become the best gamer buddies.

The bond between gamers is a special one.

In a short Facebook post, the Hapeville Police Department in Georgia shared that one of their officers recently surprised a young boy with a PlayStation.

Office Colleran was called to “remove a juvenile” from the area. However, when he arrived on the scene, the boy had revealed he only “wanted to do yard work: pulling weeds, cutting grass and trimming hedges to save up for a PlayStation.”
Keep ReadingShow less
best of humanity
popular

Kid drops 100% wholesome f-bombs in gift for his brother, and parents can't stop giggling

Ah, the innocent hilarity of phonics.

adrift1/Canva

Sweet kiddo made an unintentionally hilarious "pool certificate" for his brother who had completed swim lessons.

Kids say the darndest things, it's true. But sometimes they write the darndest things, too.

Exhibit No. 1: This kid's homemade swim lesson completion certificate for his brother.

In a video shared by faith-based influencer Barrett Bogan on Instagram, with a caption that reads, "Homemade certificates be like… 🤣🤣🤣🤣 I have NO words BAHAHAHA🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 To the PURE all things are pure yo! 🤣🤣🤣🤣," we see a young child sharing a "pool certificate" he made for his brother Brighton in honor of his completing his swimming lessons.

So sweet, right? Only one problem—it doesn't really say, "certificate."

Keep ReadingShow less
Joy

10 things that made us smile this week

Upworthy's weekly roundup of joy

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

Looking for a reason to smile? We've got 10 of 'em.

Hey all!

This week's list of smile-worthy finds is filled with good old-fashioned goodness. If you're looking for a little pick-me-up, take a scroll will us through all kinds of human kindness, a whole bunch of wholesome hilarity and oodles of adorable awesomeness.

We hope this roundup brings you as much delight as it did us. Enjoy!

Keep ReadingShow less
uplifting
Trending Stories