Boundaries

For the better part of the last week I’ve given chase to ideas for posting but no sooner am I hot on the heels of one then it’ll take a left turn and be out of reach. Until last night…

Just as I was in that transition between awake and drifting off to sleep the word “boundaries” floated across my forehead. Somehow, this morning when I woke, the word was still present as if I had just thought of it. What follows will be my take on this word as it relates to recent experiences.

After fifty years of living one would think they have explored most if not all of their personal boundaries. I guess that even this assumption is a boundary in of itself. By that I mean, to think you have reached most of your own limits would be a self imposed boundary.

Over the last several years life has become somewhat monotonous. Get up, go to work, come home, sleep, get up, go to work…you get the idea.

The kids are grown with kids of their own and their own mortgage payments and jobs and whatnot. Communication with them is spotty at best sometimes, as they have become young adults finding their way much like I did at that age. So when lines are opened it is usually for the exchange of pleasantries and to import updates as to the goings on. But on rare occassions boundries are breached and tempers flare and communication is cut off. Why this happens usually falls on the shoulders of two things…assumptions and misinformation. When both are in play not only are boundaries breached but arms are taken up. Sometimes offensive weapons are unsheathed and on other occassions both sides retreat to their respective boundaries and keep vigil. Waiting for the chance to strike.

This is how wars begin. First the insult, or perceived insult, then the stewing, followed by recon to feel out the enemy and finally the preemptive strike to achieve the element of surprise.

Whither countries or families it makes no difference the elements are the same. The sad part is that in the end when the dust settles and the dead are buried both sides take stock usually from their beginning boundaries and can’t remember what started the whole mess in the first place.

With family there’s one additional element. The closeness of the battle, the severity of the inflicted wounds, wounds that remain open sores that never seem to heal.

Countries can retreat to their own boundaries and in time reestablish diplomatic relations.

Families on the other hand can impart so much pain and damage that diplomatic relations may never be reestablished. A sad state of affairs for sure. One that shouldn’t be entered into lightly or even at all.

In the end you can only pray that wisedom will heel the breach and in the mean time make repairs to your boundaries.

As always…I must be off.

Trust

Means many different things on many different levels but it always boils down to the ability to rely on something or someone.

In this day in age who or what can we trust.

I blissfully, ignorantly, live most of my days. Not with my head in the sand, but neither am I looking for a reason not to trust. Mostly I don’t have to look for reason’s not to trust, that happens all too often on it’s own. From car makers to bankers to our government, little these days give us much in the way of trustworthiness. After all trust is something earned and maintained not something that should be taken lightly.

In my day to day dealings my conscious intentions are never to do harm or cause mistrust. However, having a sometimes quick temper and being misunderstood at other times have caused confusion and mistrust among people I deal with. From family to coworkers to casual acquaintances I’ve managed to leave them all scratching their heads in wonder from time to time but my intentions were never to cause doubt or mistrust. It just sometimes works out that way.

So given that you can trust what I say is true about myself. Doesn’t it then make since that most people are that way or am I naive?

As always… I must be off.

Project

Below is a picture of the project that got me thinking about trade craft. It is rewarding to see a notion become a useful physical element. From an idea bubble above your head, to a working prototype, to the  finished product. It doesn’t really matter that everyone appreciate your efforts as long as your wife is happy. In this case Becky is pleased which adds even more reward.

As always… I must be off.

Illprepared

http://www.thenewatlantis.com/publications/shop-class-as-soulcraft

Above is a link to an essay that I found fascinating. I’ll let the article speak for itself as it articulates an idea I’ve had for some time but couldn’t quite put into words.

Which brings us to illprepared. By this I mean the preparedness we receive from our parents and/or mentors. Growing up today is the same as it always has been and completely different. The referenced article espouses this notion. That what is important for success today is not your granddads idea of success. This thought came to me while making a wood project recently.

Like the article… I wondered why we have come to this place in history. Why we have allowed ourselfs as “human being’s” to become “human resources”. It would seem that we have drawn from the utopian wine and found it refreshing. However, if this system is so draconian then how are some of us able to question it’s motives? Are we shills or have we sobered up slightly? This is where the train leaves the track for me.

Having been raised in an apprentice type of environment I see the value and have felt the pride that comes from doing good work. I even tried passing this notion on to my children with varying degrees of success. But looking around at the current state of our society it would seem that the train has left the track for a bunch of us. The real question is, can we put it back on?

As always… I must be off.