Living in Bozeman, MT is a conundrum. It is surrounded by beautiful landscapes but much of the natural beauty stops at the city limits, whose expansion would give Napoleon a run for his money. Bozeman is a touristy, college-y, booming town with a cultural depth of a few centimeters (unless you LOVE THE MOUNTAINS!). I work in the construction industry and am utterly disgusted every day by what takes place around me.
First of all, there’s a phrase here that goes “You know you’re from Bozeman when you’re not from Bozeman.” I fall into this category, along with 90% of my acquaintances here, though its a bit of a mystery as to why we have stayed. This is to say that much of the culture, population, and values are imported from other places. Californians seem to be especially interested in moving here, especially the wealthy ones, bless their hearts. Not only do they bring their money, but they also bring their ‘big city ways”. The small town of roughly 9,000 has grown past 50,000 in just a few decades. Houses being built go up like a wildfire here and the realtors here have become like Dasani salesmen in the Sahara. They, of course, rob the buyers of all they have, but the buyers don’t really care, they need it. They will gladly get stolen from to drink that sweet water (or in this case, to keep up with the Joneses). This capitalistic fire has exploded in recent years, and it has burned through much beautiful farm land and has left in its wake endless subdivisions, and the fire is raging still.
As a young man, and an employee helping to build these homes houses, I’m regularly a bit bewildered and occasionally crushed at the staggering debt that is promoted and lived in here. The average home price ranges from $450,000 to $550,000, and these are no mansions. I have seen tiny houses less than 1000 sq. ft. sell for more than $350,000 and regular old 4 bedrooms go for upwards of $750,000. Unless one goes into staggering debt or is wildly successful in a business here, it may take 20 years to save up for a down payment in this city.
Moreover, there is a stillness, and a desperate practicality invading the building industry here. In other words, originality and lack of creativity. This comes from a lack of mastery, and deeper, it comes from the mass production culture of this America we live in.
The primary distributors of lumber and other construction materials is limited to 4 locations, only 2 of which are local. These places don’t vary on their quality much, and many builders buy their materials from the same place. This explains why 99 out of 100 bathrooms have the same tile, the same ‘built-not-to-last’ cabinets, and the same sort of brushed-nickel crap thrown all over the place.
One more thing. I need to mention that the insanity doesn’t stop at houses. It carries over into other areas, too. If one keeps their eyes peeled on any given rush hour, he will see anywhere from 75 to 150 vehicles that are less than 36 months old. Why people buy the newest model is beyond me, but it is relatively the same as buying the new houses. They make a bad deal and get average or worse for a greater cost. Why? Maybe it’ll spill over into relationships, when men will begin to pursue new, shinier, shallower women at the cost of their wives and children. Maybe women will begin to marry losers and alcoholics at the cost of a good life, or replace the old model because it must have ‘some sort of planned obsolescence or something’… I digress.
The crux of the matter is this: quality seems to be turning into an ‘old-fashioned’ value. It is getting buried in Bozeman’s history, and forgotten for the sake of more money. There are yet some builders out there who prize quality work, endurable craftsmanship, and well-built homes, though they are becoming rare. I know them when I see them, and I have a true respect for them. Men who only learn to build fast and cheap will always do so, but to a detriment. Rushing to fill the yearly quota (which goes primarily into the boss’s pocket) leaves much to be desired both in the house itself and in the lifestyle of the “craftsman” (now a mass produced tool, get it?). The expectation here seems to be for him to become a dollar chaser or to kick rocks. If a man learns to build a quality house, taking his time and using quality materials, he may learn to build quicker, but with a foundation. This is a reasonable enough argument, but it is exploded by the culture’s seemingly skewed perspective of value. They pay Ferrari prices for 90’s Isuzus. Get me the hell out of here. If people are willing to get robbed for their houses willingly, what does that say about the people? What will this place ultimately become?
Paper Discourse 