On Pursuing Passions

“Action may not always bring happiness, but there is no happiness without action. ”

William James

I am the antsy kind looking for something to do all the time. To my own detriment sometimes, I never sit in a place doing nothing. Instead, I am looking to do something. Over the past six months, this has been woodworking. From someone who could care less about it to someone who admired quality wood work to finally wanting to create such lovely objects myself, I have come a full circle. And I cant stop doing more of it. I am learning and honestly still struggling to get it right. But with some help and guidance, I see a path to getting better at it.

This past weekend, I created a rolling pin with a small block of pear wood. This was the first time I was using pear wood to do something. The wood looks fairly unimpressive at first glance and after the rolling pin was done (prior to applying some oil), felt totally pedestrian. But when I applied a coat of butchers block conditioner, it came to life. The lovely character of the wood was revealed in one moment and now I cant stop looking at it. Such is the wonder of this art that I cant stop getting enough of it.

I dont know where and how far this new-fangled passion will take me. Suffice to say, I am loving every moment of it right now.