Adventures of an Imperfect Man In Search of a Handmade Life
“To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.”
“It is the best of humanity, I think, that goes out to walk. In happy hours all affairs may be wisely postponed for this. Dr. Johnson said, ‘Few men know how to take a walk,’ and it is pretty certain that Dr. Johnson was not one of those few. It is a fine art; there are degrees of proficiency, and we distinguish the professors from the apprentices. The qualifications are endurance, plain clothes, old shoes, an eye for nature, good-humor, vast curiosity, good speech, good silence, and nothing too much. Good observers have the manners of trees and animals, and if they add words, it is only when words are better than silence. But a vain talker profanes the river and the forest, and is nothing like so good company as a dog.”
–Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Country Life,” 1857
What I wouldn’t give to chuck it all in today and just walk in the wilderness.
Happy New Year one and all!
Here’s a bit of Stoic thought to help keep a perspective on reality…
“Let death and exile, and all other things which appear terrible, be daily before your eyes, but death chiefly; and you will never entertain any abject thought, nor too eagerly covet anything.”
– Epictetus
I know this is a little outside the normal material for this blog but there is very little that is normal about me anyway. I hope you can enjoy the message here.
“Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.”
Wise words from William Morris.
This is the mantra that drives the entire vardo project. I try to keep this in mind for every thing I add and every part I build. Otherwise, isn’t it just junk?
This is a re-post from last year. However, I think the message is a strong one and worth think about again.
Life is short. If you’re fortunate enough to live with the means and privilege and food security, consider yourself lucky. When I feel low or unhappy, I always want to remember the people subjected to abject poverty worldwide through no fault of their own. It seems that the privileged, the comfortable, and those with the least to complain about are the most vocal and judgmental and superior acting. A few words by Edward Abbey from a speech to environmentalists published in High Country News, (24 September 1976), under the title “Joy, Shipmates, Joy!”
One final paragraph of advice: […] It is not enough to fight for the land; it is even more important to enjoy it. While you can. While it’s still here. So get out there and hunt and fish and mess around with your friends, ramble out yonder and explore the forests, climb the mountains, bag the peaks, run the rivers, breathe deep of that yet sweet and lucid air, sit quietly for a while and contemplate the precious stillness, the lovely, mysterious, and awesome space.
Enjoy yourselves, keep your brain in your head and your head firmly attached to the body, the body active and alive, and I promise you this much; I promise you this one sweet victory over our enemies, over those desk-bound men and women with their hearts in a safe deposit box, and their eyes hypnotized by desk calculators. I promise you this; You will outlive the bastards.
Edward Abbey
The Tobasco Donkeys, a little known musical group working at the Philmont Scout Ranch recorded a song using Abbey’s words in one of the verses. It fits well and brings a smile to my face.
“We live in an age when unnecessary things are our only necessities.”
— Oscar Wilde
I’m not one for New Year resolutions. However, it is a time of reflection and I’m glad for the progress I have made in decluttering my life and prioritizing what truly matters over the past few years. Maybe 2016 is the year for another person out there to step away from the frenzy of mindless consumption. More junk around house doesn’t make anyone more happy. And it is certainly not your duty to spend your hard-earned capital only to increase corporate profit.
Alternatively, I don’t advocate volunteer poverty as such. It is wonderful to have nice things; decent clothing, well-made furniture, good food, and a cozy house. Just remember, unless you were born into wealth you did not earn yourself, the objects you buy don’t really cost money, they cost your time, freedom, and ultimately, your life.
My constant resolution is to become better, do better things, and be a better person than I was last year.
Happy New Year to all.
What are you resolved to do this year?
Here’s a nearly perfect little essay from Greg Merritt about amateur woodworking that can be applied far beyond our chosen hobby. It’s a great way to start off the New Year on a positive note.
I particularly like this line: “To build furniture you need three basic skills. You must know how to sharpen, layout accurately and then accurately cut the wood to layout. That is it. Period.”
The following is written for those of you, like myself, who are amature/hobbiest woodworkers. We just want to build things with wood and enjoy the process as well as the result.
In days gone by, when the apprentiship system was in full swing, a person knew where they stood in the hierarchy. You entered as an apprentice and worked your way up through the ranks. Crossing milestones allong the way that advanced you to the next level. Eventually working your way up until you were considered a master craftsman, or whatever similar rank, depending upon your chosen proffession. My assumption is, that as these individulas moved up in the system their attitude changed as well. Gaining both confidence and a sense of reponsibility to the profession.
That was then, this is now.
Something I have observed over the years is that amature woodworkers are almost always viewed as perpetual beginners…
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“I am much inclined to live from my rucksack, and let my trousers fray as they like.”
from Wandering, Hermann Hesse
This goes against the grain of what so may of us are taught, but it says so much.
Preindustrial Craftsmanship 