My grandfather was a finishing carpenter and lather. Much of the work he did still stands as a testimony to his skill and that of the men who worked with him. I have always been fascinated by the craftsmen who built the wonders of the world. I can only imagine the Egyptian engineers designing and carrying out the construction of the pyramids. Walking through ancient Native American sites I am in awe of what they accomplished without modern day tools. The medieval cathedrals of Europe are stunning. I marvel that humans have been so brilliant throughout history.
I witnessed my grandfather’s skill in homes that he renovated. Every line was straight, corners fit smoothly together. His work was so perfect that it became a work of art. Little wonder that his son, my father, would later become a mechanical engineer and now one of my grandsons is following in his footsteps. There seems to be something in our familial genes.
I remember visiting my Uncle Harold who had built his home with his own hands. It was a small but sturdy place with arched doorways and built in cabinetry that fit perfectly along walls and in corners. Outside he built a workshop for his tools that was fascinating. My brothers and I became giddy whenever who took us out there to see how orderly he stored his many tools. Even better was when he showed us how to use them to create something wonderful.
Much like my grandfather, Uncle Harold had the hands of an artisan. His fingers seemed to be perfectly shaped for the beautiful work that he did. They also showed the marks of thec constant use that he had made of them in decades of building things at work and at home.
Right now as I write there is a man redoing the wooden floor in my great room. After over twenty years there were unsightly scratches and gashes and much of the protective coating was beginning to peel away. For some time I considered pulling all of it out and installing a new product instead. A friend told me about her godson who repaired such things and so I decided to give the floor new life with his help.
He has spent most of the day carefully sanding the boards. He has a masterful touch. Nothing is gashed. The wood is as smooth as it once was. He has created a stain that we like better than the one we had before. He has filled in the flaws that were always there. I see that he is a perfectionist like my grandfather and Uncle Harold so I am very excited about how lovely my floor will be once he is finished.
He is taking his time not to cut corners. He is definitely someone who takes pride in his work. The job may be small but he is taking it very seriously. I marvel at the intensity of his efforts and understand why his godmother boasted that he creates beautiful floors. I think my grandfather would approve and Uncle Harold would smile because he too one day laid down a whole house of beautiful flooring.
I greatly admire the craftsmen who take the time to do things right. They show pride in the work and never attempt to just throw things together. They admit when something is beyond their skills and often suggest someone else who is better. Not everyone is so honest these days. They take the job and the money and run.
I remember a time when a neighbor asked me to come to her home to give my honest opinion of some tile repairs that a contractor had done in her bathroom. I was so shocked by the shoddy work that I had few words to express my dismay. I simply said that the whole thing needed to be redone. I hated giving her that news but she had spent a great deal of time and money planning the renovation and the work was as horrific as anything I have ever seen. She was actually relieved when I gave her my blunt opinion because the man who had done the work accused her of being picky. Ultimately she fired him and had someone come to start over again. It was a massive loss of time and fortune that nobody ever wants to experience but in the end she found a tile artisan who somehow performed a miracle and made her bathroom gleam.
We should celebrate the people who are exceptional builders as much as we laud other geniuses. These craftsmen and women have skills that go beyond just getting things done. When their work is completed it almost becomes a work of art like a painting or sculpture or a story well told. The human intellect shows its glory in so many forms. We must always celebrate them as the wondrous people that they are.
All It Takes Is A Little Love 