7-21-02, Sunday Journal
FINDING AND SHARING BEAUTY
By Dalton Roberts
IPS Features
On
this date in ‘81 my father finished making gavels for several courthouse
officials. He made them from an Osage Orange limb that fell from a tree on the
courthouse lawn.
It brings two wonderful thoughts to mind. First, my father found something he
loved that brightened his retirement years: woodworking. When he retired at 65
he was extremely bored and returned to work. When he retired for good, he
resumed his interest in woodworking and made many objects of great worth for his
many friends.
The other thought that blessed this Sunday morning was how great beauty can come
from something that seems to have no value. If Dad hadn't taken that big limb
home, a city chipper truck would have shredded it into little pieces. Instead,
it made some of the most beautiful gavels I have ever seen, cherished by our
judges.
Sometimes people fall around us, just like that big limb. They do down with
discouragement, or drugs, or disease, or heartbreak. Life can come along and
shred them into tiny pieces and they are forgotten. Or we can take them into the
workshop of our hearts and put them on the lathe of love and help them become
works of art.
HUMMINGBIRD CREATIVITY
In an Indian story, Eagle and Hummingbird argued over who was the greatest
winged creature. They decided to race to the Sun.
As he neared the Sun, Eagle looked back and Hummingbird was not in sight. So he
assumed he had won and turned around and started back. Hummingbird darted out
from his hiding place under Eagle's wing, continued on, and through his
creativity won..
Creativity is the most important ingredient of success. Work is only important
when you work smart. Love is fantastic but will get you in trouble unless you
love smart.
Each time we look at anything we are doing and see if there is some creative
touch we can add to make it more effective, we are flying out from under the
Eagle's wing and reaching the Sun.
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