My story of Wooden Pieces
When I was about 6 years old, I used to cut branches off trees and make parts for building boxes or other items. In the process, I was using all the tools that were available in our kitchen and even sometimes would buy small tools to help me with that. I remember at one point, I was able to make a wooden truck able to carry small loads of toys and even the wheels were made of wood cut perpendicular to the base of a branch!
The ability to manipulate objects and to make something meaningful was extremely gratifying and later on at about 10 years of age, I started to tear apart my favorite bicycle and put it all back together again. I guess it was all about curiosity and even sometimes creativity. How can I make something new out of what I have? What is really going on in the structure of this machine? Why does the toy bunny play a drum the way it does? How do clocks work? ….The inquiry never stopped.
Later on in my life, during my high school years, college years and even some working years, all of this fixing, bending and figuring was put to rest until I got married!
Yes, I admit, I am a late bloomer and married at around thirty years old. My wife and I purchased our small starter house. In the process, the house needed a lot of work. How about plumbing? Sure!, How about the bathroom? Yes! How about a new kitchen? Of course……. All of a sudden, I found myself with my beloved hammer, saw, sander, plumbing tools….etc. You say tools? Oh, you have no idea…One tool leads to another!
Pretty soon, the basement of our small house turned into a workshop! Woodworking flashbacks from childhood popped out again!
Along the way, I dragged my reluctant wife along. I rented a booth in a craft shop and started selling wooden-made items competing with other carpenters in that shop. The beauty of this whole thing was that it allowed me to be creative again. I started to think about the design, the look, and yes, the mathematical symmetry and golden ratio of items and what other people might like to buy. Along the way, my wife helped me with the practicality of the objects and what might sell. I remember one day before Christmas, my wife and I visited the rented booth and noticed almost everything we had made was sold! It was gratifying…Not the money but the fact that people liked what I made!
I ended up becoming a teacher and purchasing another house and having children. Everything was put on hold. Once again there was no time for me to do what I really enjoyed doing. On top of that, I seemed to have developed a sensitivity to dust that requires a well-ventilated workshop. The house that I live in does not have a workshop and I have been parking my table saw along with my tools in a small room in the basement and every time I crank up the old rusty table saw, wood dust moves all over the house creating an allergic reaction for everyone.
To this day, I have friends and family members who remind me of the things that I have made for them and how much they enjoy it.
I think I will be returning to wood working in the next stage of my life…When I retire. I am going to be far more slow and less agile but I will carry the experience and wisdom of an old man who still cares about making wooden pieces!
