i did it!

I am the type of person that tells the same story over and over again. Occasionally, I’ll embellish a bit here or there, a little or a lot, depending on the audience. I am also a rather nostalgic person, so it’s no wonder I have a slight passion for the simple processes of yesteryear. Like, machines with all the operating parts visible, making it easily understood how it works. Or when you visited the butcher for your meats, your neighbors sold you eggs and all bicycles only had one gear. Nostalgia is why I have always respected those who have kept traditional processes alive and thriving.

All of us either know someone who could perform the tricks of our ancestors or have at least seen a re-enactment of processes that have been made obsolete by technology. Each time I witness these traditional processes in action I am thankful for that individuals’ dedication to their craft and their desire to keep the art alive. So when a blacksmith offered me an opportunity to make a simple coat hook, I stayed out late and took my time to learn one of the world’s dying arts.

Like my almost two-year-old daughter Molly, I get giddy about small accomplishments. A favorite expression of hers now is, “I did it”, then we smile, clap and yell in encouragement. There’s not much these days that can get me to beam a smile at someone with the look of self-pride in my eyes like a two year old figuring out for the first time how operate the pedals on her tricycle. But making that coat hook gave me an “I did it” moment, I couldn’t wait to share with the next person I saw. And so another story was born, except this time it’s so good it won’t need embellishing.

After finishing my hook, when I could start showing it off to folks, I felt as though I belonged to a secret society. Except there was no handshake or bird call that needed to be learned, only the time and patience required to follow instructions and understand the basic processes involved in reshaping a straight iron bar into a desired form. As time goes by and I walk past the hook now in use, I say a little prayer for the foresight not to pass up my next, “I did it” opportunity, whatever it may be.