...Amen

[DouginUtah]

You know, there ain't no Republicans in my shop.  There ain't no Democrats, neither.  There ain't no Conservatives and there ain't no Liberals.  It is equally lacking in Socialists, Communists, John Birchers, MADD women, NOW women, or women in general.

Ya see, a shop, properly thought of, is a respite from all of this 5!@#%^&*.

A shop, properly thought of, is a respite.

I'm hanging out in the shop more and more these recent days.

THE WORLD has gotten way too freaky.  I need to be in an environment where the choices are between oak and walnut, or between cherry and poplar.

As THE WORLD seems to demand more complexity, I respond by seeking simplicity.

In the spring I made a footlocker for my son to take to boy scout camp.  It was made of left over cherry and left over hardware but it turned out to look pretty nice.

People liked it and now I've committed to making one for the boy scout auction in October.  The materials alone are about $400.00.  The sheet of 1/2" cherry ply (A-1) cost me $149.00 plus tax. The rest is for solid brass hardware.  If it doesn't sell for more than $800.00, I might as well have written them a check for the four hundred bucks.

Is that really true?

Hell no!

I get to make a second version of a project that I liked and get the opportunity to address what I felt to be the flaws of the first piece.

I intend to make one of these a year at least until my son is out of scouts, and I'm hoping that will be seven more years.

No Republicans - no Democrats - no nothing but good soul filling shop time.

I should pay them to have the opportunity to do something meaningful in the quiet of my shop.

Where the music is always good.

And the radio is never tuned to politics.

And there is no TV.

And the cell phone is never on.

And the only sound that I need to hear is the thrumming of the Unisaw and the counterpoint high of the shaper, with the occasional tenor of the lathe and the piping interruption of the compressor.

Sweet symphony.

I need it now more than ever.

-Tom Watson as posted on rec.woodworking
--

[WDH]

That sure strikes my chord.

[DanG]

Great post, Doug! 8) 8)  Just don't forget to come out of the shop long enough to vote against your incumbent Congressman! ;D

[Warbird]

Heh.  That wasn't very nice, DanG.  I think that dull thump you just heard was poor Doug's head exploding. 

Doug, I've been simplifying things myself and I sure liked your post a lot.  Have fun in the shop and post some pics as you make progress?

[scsmith42]

Doug - very well said!  Thanks for sharing that great tidbit.

Scott

[thecfarm]

Amen brother,amen.

[crtreedude]

I prefer something more simple.

DanG it all, I am going fishing!!!!

[isawlogs]

  I miss my shop , used to be one of the best places to hang around in , warm and inviting  :-\

Now I have a barn that s big and cold . Manure is getting deeper at one end with the shoveller slowing down .

  Good thing that hunting season is upawn us and respite can be taken elsewheres .

[DWM II]

You know, I dont ever recall thinking about politics or other worthless scrapola while sittin in the deer woods. ;)

[Left Coast Chris]

Im finding that the need to simplify goes with a well known natural process..........Aging.  Doug,   you are right on.   We'll let the extroverts do the talking while we settle down in the shop only to come out and vote. 8) 8)