I’ve also
had several chats with
different folk about making
good use of both junk and mistakes. And those things inspired this
essay.
I tinker with woodworking projects during weekends. And weekend weather has been
agreeable recently, so I’ve been able to act on some decent ideas. What can I
tell you? Sometimes The Cosmos aligns itself in our favour.
I’m not a
master carpenter. I’m just an inspired amateur who likes playing with his wood.
I’m also a writer who chooses
his words carefully.
A few people have asked me why I’ve never become a carpenter. Two reasons:
1) I’ve gotten more than my fill of formal education. Trust
me. I’ve talked about it here, here, and here. I’ve learned that there are plenty of better
places to learn than a classroom.
2) Woodworking
is a very Zen activity for me. I find a lot of peace in it. I’m simply following my bliss
through the sawdust in my own time.
I’ve made a number of things the past few years. Most pieces are functional.
Some are strictly ornamental. None will ever be featured on The New Yankee Workshop or Rough Cut.
Everything I’ve made has two things in common. First, making them has always been fun. And second, all those pieces have been repurposed from the salvaged scrap wood of things that were deemed old, broken, or both.
 |
Inspired professionals playing with their wood. |
Everything I’ve made has two things in common. First, making them has always been fun. And second, all those pieces have been repurposed from the salvaged scrap wood of things that were deemed old, broken, or both.
One of my life
goals is to live in a home where every furnishing is handcrafted by me. What can I tell you? I agree entirely
with Frank Costello on this score.
It'd be hard not to. He can be rather persuasive.
Anyways, everything in my home is handcrafted except for the bedroom dresser.
It'd be hard not to. He can be rather persuasive.
 |
| He says who has a fuckin’ problem. |
Anyways, everything in my home is handcrafted except for the bedroom dresser.
The
bookcases, coffee tables, and entertainment centre are made from scrap
ply and cabinetry I found in the basement of a flat I once lived in.
I've made several deck benches using scrap 2x4 and rail board from an old fence I helped my friend, Clay, and her boyfriend, The Macho Farmer, tear down and then replace.
The office desk is made from the remains of three old office desks that were sent to the curb.
The office workbench was born from those same computer desks, scrap 2x4, and old stair balusters from Clay’s house.
The bathroom TowelRackShelf and entranceway CoatRackShelf are made from scrap 2x4, ply, and pallet board I’d salvaged from work.
The decorative pieces were jigged out of scrap ply provided by The Macho Farmer.
The storage crates / portable shelving units I made for Clay were broken Adirondack chairs in a former life.
And the pottery drying rack and crate I recently made for Clay come courtesy the remains of a GarbageRecycleBox.
In a previous life that GarbageRecycleBox used to be a treehouse. What can I tell you? A treehouse just ain’t the same once a hurricane blows it out of the tree.
I've made several deck benches using scrap 2x4 and rail board from an old fence I helped my friend, Clay, and her boyfriend, The Macho Farmer, tear down and then replace.
The office desk is made from the remains of three old office desks that were sent to the curb.
The office workbench was born from those same computer desks, scrap 2x4, and old stair balusters from Clay’s house.
The bathroom TowelRackShelf and entranceway CoatRackShelf are made from scrap 2x4, ply, and pallet board I’d salvaged from work.
The decorative pieces were jigged out of scrap ply provided by The Macho Farmer.
The storage crates / portable shelving units I made for Clay were broken Adirondack chairs in a former life.
And the pottery drying rack and crate I recently made for Clay come courtesy the remains of a GarbageRecycleBox.
In a previous life that GarbageRecycleBox used to be a treehouse. What can I tell you? A treehouse just ain’t the same once a hurricane blows it out of the tree.
There’s no
such thing as garbage in woodworking. No material is ever really useless. Scrap
wood can always be turned into something useful and new again.
Mistakes are
like broken, useless things. They leave us wondering if they could’ve been avoided, and
what or how we can replace them. We’re left helplessly searching for help in
their wake.
We all make
mistakes. Some we can avoid. Some we can’t.
Mistakes
are a part of life. So they’re also like shit. They happen.
Mistakes
come in all shapes and sizes. Some are big. Some are small. But the
worst mistake of all is to dwell on those mistakes that we do make.
Don’t get
me wrong. Dealing with the consequences of a mistake sucks. Some mistakes break
our heart and soul so badly that they’ll never set properly again. Mistakes
remind us that sometimes we have no choice but to adapt and change. They remind
us that dealing’s a part of life when you strive to be a respectable, proper
human.
There are valuable lessons to be found in the wake of a mistake. Taking a wrong turn often helps us find our bearings. Putting a broken thing back together can teach us how the thing works. We often gain wisdom through acting stupid.
There are valuable lessons to be found in the wake of a mistake. Taking a wrong turn often helps us find our bearings. Putting a broken thing back together can teach us how the thing works. We often gain wisdom through acting stupid.
It’s easy
to beat ourselves up over our mistakes. It’s easy to write off broken things as
junk. But easy roads seldom lead to reward and have little ripple effect on
our lives.
Walking
through life unscathed doesn’t make us better people. Pulling ourselves up when
we fall and learning to carry on with the limp does.
Garbage can be made into gold.
Garbage can be made into gold.
*** *** ***
There is a road, no simple highway
Between the dawn and the dark of night,
And if you go no one may follow,
That path is for your steps alone
- Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia
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