Working
Hands
“The
work of the world is common as mud.
Botched,
it smears the hands, crumbles to dust.
But the
thing worth doing well done
has a
shape that satisfies, clean and evident.
Greek
amphorae for wine or oil,
Hopi vases
that held corn, are put in museums
but you
know they were made to be used.
The
pitcher cries out for water to carry
and a
person for work that is real.”
Marge
Piercy (from “To Be of Use”)
I once visited a Cherokee
museum. There were woven bowls that would hold liquids without
leaking; leather sacks tanned to such perfection that they could be
used for boiling water or cooking food. My great-grandmothers made
quilts from old clothes; blocks of fabric from husband's pants or
shirts, sewn onto newspaper squares and then cut to size. I love to
make things that are useful things, too—like goofy “forever
green” market bags and purses, place-mats and coasters. I've made
bed-sized quilts and wall quilts, wrapped-rope and pine-straw baskets
and crocheted rugs. Some of us just have to make things to be happy,
and making things that are useful is even better.
I believe everyone is
happiest when they are working at whatever they love. I honestly
don't know anyone whose ideal life is to do absolutely nothing all
day. People who are in their last year of employment are frequently
asked what they will do when they retire—“Nothing,” they say,
or “As little as possible.” That's great for about a week, and
then they start to be at loose ends. We structure our days by the
work we do. One of the most difficult challenges of retirement is
figuring out how to provide structure when employment is no longer a
factor. Men buy woodworking equipment, a gym bag, and learn to play
bridge . Women stack up all the books they've been wanting to read,
enroll in yoga classes, and volunteer. There's a program here in
Birmingham called New Horizons. It's designed for retired folks to
hear lectures and have discussions with folks who are still
working—in history, science, medicine, literature. It meets every
week-day for half-day. It is designed to keep their minds sharp and
to fill at least part of the day with something stimulating.
Idle people are not happy
people. I feel certain that the folks who are out of work right now
because of the government shut-down cannot wait to get back on the
job—even if they complain about the job at every opportunity. And
not simply because they need a paycheck. They also need to feel like
they are contributing to society. Anyone whose ever watched day-time
television knows it is not a solution to boredom—sorry, but it
seems the fastest road to brain-rot to me. Don't tell the networks.
So, if you're someone
who's nearing retirement, prepare ahead of time to create work for
yourself. Yes, travel, and see the sights you've always wanted to
see, but few of us can do that indefinitely. When you come home
again, get your hands and your head back into the game—it will
lengthen you life by a lot of years, and create contentment in your
soul. We humans are like ants and bees; we need to feel like we are
contributing to the hive.
In the Spirit,
Jane
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