The civilized man has built a coach, but has lost the use of his feet. - R. W. Emerson
Craftwork (not Kraftwerk) and Giving
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Part I
I am hopeful for a new renaissance.
Listen to Warren MacKenzie here and here and see his works here and here.
He is a hero of mine and his thoughts resonate with me.
Part II
This morning I went down to Northern Clay Center on Franklin looking for MacKenzie's pottery. He has a kid's table which holds pottery only available to kids under 10 and only one item per kid per month. The items are 50 cents despite being made by one of the most prominent living potters.
The reasons I am so taken by MacKenzie are his simple, but refined craftsmanship and his commercial ethics. He only charges what he would pay for his items, thinking about how much it cost him to make and how much he needs to keep up his life. He is pleased that people are able to find them at second hand stores for a quarter and charges little for his pots in hopes that people will use them day-to-day.
This reinforces some thoughts I have been having about the craft I have chosen for myself. I have been contemplating the donation of some of my services to non-profits and other organizations when I have time. The details have yet to be worked out (I don't even have a business started yet) but I imagine I could create designs to which people might donate plants and labor. I really believe that environmental conditions affect a person's/people's well being. Hopefully I will one day be able to make someone's environment better.
All-in-all I think that a renaissance that I want to be a part of is not simply one of reclaiming and expanding upon elder design ideals, but also focusing on the spirit of volunteerism.
As we age...
The paths that we have taken in life are clearer now. We are beginning to enjoy and be satisfied by the things we do and finally know that the path we tread is the right one. We also know that the things we can do can be used in a more fulfilling way than to simply generate income. After all:
"Money never made a man happy yet, nor will it. There is nothing in its nature to produce happiness. The more a man has, the more he wants. Instead of filling a vacuum, it makes one." - Ben Franklin
In this spirit, I want to give respect to some people:
My friend (his blog now linked at right as "Yoshistan") is working in a very emotionally volatile place because he wants to help people who need his insights and guidance. It can take a toll on one's spirit. Be proud of him in this work. He brings self-redemption to the outcast and shunned.
My brother is in Lesotho, in Africa working to treat kids who have HIV and AIDS. He took a year out of his life in order to help people who desperately need help half-the-world away instead of simply settling into his new life in the U.S. His wife and daughter give much of themselves and their lives to support him in this work. This family epitomizes the spirit of giving. They shine a healing light on the innocent and ignored.
My dear Emily just got a new job working for the Humane Society. She could have taken a much higher paying one she was offered in Woodbury but didn't because she wanted something more fulfilling. She is a beautiful person in so many ways. I am very proud that she is my wife. She is a healer of the mistreated and voice to the misunderstood.
We all have the ability to help. They can show the way.
School: The second-to-last semester is over. In fact, I recently completed my final two-hours-of-sleep-after-completion project of my scholastic career (unless I eventually decide on grad-school). That is a comforting thought. One unexpected class remains and only offered in the fall. After which I will be a free man with all the world in front of me and no map to chart the course - only a ship, my crew of loves, and dreams of unknown shores...
Side note: I really been more appreciative lately of the indigenous Australian's concept of mythic place. There are locations which actually exist in their landscape (a mountain, a spring, etc.) , but no connections to/between them except through narrative. That is the way of fiction and the way an aging mind experiences life. For some reason I was thinking lately of my life in Des Moines, IA. I remember places in such great detail for the events which occurred there, but could not find my way from one to another... anyway...
Work: I am moving to a slightly later schedule and plan to begin biking to work. I have no excuses against in and so many reason to do it. I have a bike, a helmet (hear that Greg and Liz), a need for exercise, and a $60+/month savings in contract and gas incentive to give me a push start. Let's hope I don't need training wheels again.
I am finishing up the landscape project and should only take one or two more days to finish. So far it has pretty much been solo, but I am going to get some assistance soon from a guy who knows plants much better than I. As it shapes up I am really proud of it. Pictures forthcoming.
Radio: I am pitching my show demo for the radio station. I would explain it but want to wait until after I know if it makes it or not. Send me good vibes please. I may need them. I have already recorded a demo, but am going back into the studio to rerecord a (hopefully) better, longer cut.
Spirituality: I am still slowly reading through Huston Smith's "The World's Religions." The more I read and experience life and religion, the more I apply the evolutionary theory to everything. In biology it is pretty apparent, but one can also see it in political-, cultural-, and spiritual thought. And after taking a dozen or so classes which highlight ecology, I can see some elements of how they can mimic the behaviors and effects of invasive species. Which in-turn reinforces my admiration for traditional indigenous spirituality and how it is tied to "place." A local species (spiritual paradigm/culture) is right for the region/time where it was developed. When another enters which exploits conditions it can take over and cause great harm to native species/thought in the area which it invades. Now please understand that I don't mean this about any particular religion, pretty much all of them which overflow the bounds of their land/time. This makes me again want to readdress the problem with the written word instead of oral tradition, but I am going to shut up for now.
I think this is why the line from Marc Cohen's "Walking in Memphis" is such a great one: She said, 'Tell me are you a Christian, child,' and I said, 'Ma'am, I am tonight." And yeah, the rest of the song is pretty much overplayed pap.
Everything else: All else is pretty good. I am happier than I ever remember being that Spring is here. It was
one
long
Winter.
And in the spirit of mother's day:
Yeah this one right here goes out to all the baby's mamas, mamas... Mamas, mamas, baby mamas, mamas
Just kidding.
All you mamas and baby mamas, and baby mama's mamas, you do so much for the world. Take care of yourselves after taking such good care of everyone else.
