A Good Day at Work

Some years ago, I heard a story that went something like this.  When you’re on your death bed, I’ll bet one thing you won’t say is, “I just wish I could have spent one more day at work.”

I left my “day job” over ten years ago and it is in that context that the above story still rings true.  However, now that I live the artist blacksmith life, I don’t feel the same way, at least in part because what I do now doesn’t seem exactly like work.  I suspect, when he times comes, I’ll wish I could have spent one more day forging in the shop.

I know that I complain too much.  Betty reminds me frequently.  Every day I plan an agenda and it always falls short due to one interruption or another.  I have come around to thinking, I should be working in the shop by 0900 but I know it won’t be until 1100 although when I go to bed I don’t have a clue what obstructions will pop up to delay me two hours.

Occasionally there is the rare day when I get to the shop at 0800 and work.  No errands, No home chores.  That’s one kind of day I’ll wish I could repeat just once more.  Today was another day I might want to repeat.  I got to the studio about 1000 after making a blog post and preparing some images for a client and organizing them in a email Betty will send later.  Also there was a phone conversation with one of my sons about some property he is considering buying.  First there was clearing out the contents of the tumbler and putting each piece where it will next be worked.  Then there was some work modifying dies I concluded were not quite right.  Next was the repair of a Granddaughters plastic pink and blue toy shopping cart which could only be salvaged by adding some steel framing.  It looks like my plan will work well - I’ll have a good idea tomorrow when the parts come out of the tumbler ready for final assembly.  Yet, I won’t know for sure until it passes the Granddaughter approval test.  The final project was fixing the wheels on Betty’s hose cart. That has been on my “To Do” list since April.  Today, I checked it off.

Yes.  Today was a day I might like to live again.  Tomorrow I plan to write about how I make fire grates.