“The unexamined life is not worth living”
Socrates, in Plato, Dialogues, Apology
Greek philosopher in Athens (469 BC – 399 BC)
As I spend the summer putting things into order and stare at the mountain of clay waiting outside my studio I have come to some conclusions
#1 Haven’t found the “dream job” yet
Robert and I have been married for 32 years. We have always done things a bit differently. Many times it has left us feeling like we just don’t fit in anywhere.
There has never been the secure job with benefits, the dream of a pension, 9 to 5 for life. Some say unemployable, some days, I think under paid. Robert constantly reminds me of the alternative.
#2 It has been a series of dreams
We are dreamers, yes we admit!. We have passed this trait on to our children. Many days they speak of it as a curse! Some crazy idea will come up, we will mull it over, try it on, show it to a few close friends, see if it fits, talk about it, read about, start living and breathing it… then one day we jump. Nothing will stop what we are hell bent on doing. Those of you who really know us, does this sound familiar? There has been a few constants in our life. but all in all it’s pretty fluid.
#3. Everything we have pretty much has a strange story to go with it.
Eccentric, yes, boring, no time for that. Here is curse number two. Seeing value in everything, and believing it. Everything has project written all over it.
#4 When you have time you have no extra cash, when you have cash, you have no extra time.
This is like the toast always landing on the floor with the peanut butter side down!
#5. Skills, that’s where it’s at!
Recently a book came into our lives ( that’s another strange story), it’s called “Shop Class as Soul Craft”
We were shocked to see in writing someone who is speaking so eloquently about the value of working with your hands.
Quote from Shop Class as Soul Craft.
Skilled manual labor entails a systematic encounter with the material world, precisely the kind of encounter that gives rise to natural science. From its earliest practice, craft knowledge has entailed knowledge of the “ways” of one’s materials—that is, knowledge of their nature, acquired through disciplined perception and a systematic approach to problems. And in fact, in areas of well-developed craft, technological developments typically preceded and gave rise to advances in scientific understanding, not vice versa.
#6. Love the one your with
We love people, all kinds of people. It’s a strange brew of folks that if all put in the same room would be classified a dangerous dinner party.
Everyone, I mean everyone, comes to you with something of value. We just need to be open to seeing and excepting the gift.
#7. Honoring the gifts from our parents
I’m not talking about loans and cars. I am talking about things more valuable…. what they know. The wisdom of our elders is the mortar that holds all of this crazy journey together.
So now you are asking, “what does this have to do with a three legged stool?”
We have spent a life together building and rebuilding our stool. Each leg represents how we make our way in the world.
One leg is how we make our money, one leg is how we relate to our world, and the last leg is what we give to the world. When one is out of sync it sends the other legs into an unstable situation.
Sometimes one leg is longer (more energy spent there), we wobble for awhile keeping upright and then the balancing act to too much to bare and we topple.
How steady is your stool?
SAGE 