JOIN USAs we mull over the images and words that the media relentlessly bombards us with, we are forced to contemplate how people go on with their lives despite affliction and death staring at them in the face. We wonder at the resolve people have against the heartache and tragedy that threatens to engulf them.
Now that life and time have forced us to confront and acknowledge our deeper motivations; seeking meaning in what we do, especially what we do for others has emerged as the most fundamental of the impulses. People have found solace in either reaching out and helping others or in turning inward, considering art and creative pursuits as paths that lead a man to himself. In difficult times such as these, finding joy can be as simple and as complicated as looking inward and in doing little and great things for others.
Amid the fear and chaos of today’s world, we were rather surprised when a relative took on woodworking as a means to connect with himself and others. As he would soon find out, woodcraft is more than a pastime or hobby as it provides a place both inside the mind and outside of it where one can slow down, pay attention, and take the time to build beautiful and functional objects that can delight the maker, giver and receiver. In carpentry, both process and outcome combine seamlessly such that the journey itself becomes the destination. The feel and beauty of deftly crafted wood, the restoring smell of the workplace and the riveting joy of cutting and then putting back the pieces together transform the din of the world into a distant hum.
With each object he made, his skill and mastery improved and soon he began sharing these precious handmade objects with family and friends. First came the rather raw bedside tables and bookcases, then more finely crafted wine bottle holders and swings. Recently, to celebrate their anniversary he made a beautifully crafted wooden clock for his wife as a symbol of the wonderful times they had spent together. As for the other items, he gave them away to others, free of cost. The delight rested in creating these objects and not in keeping them for himself.
He had found a way to be human despite the dehumanizing circumstances Covid is creating around us. Our hearts and minds took a bow as art stood up defining the measure of a good life.