Sunday, September 26, 2010

Functional Clay/Functional Life

There are so many pleasures derived from a life in clay, but none are any more profound than when the communication by creativity in clay meets a perfect end.

My friend, Rick, just posted this to a bulletin board of our mutual friends....


I was best man at a wedding yesterday, a couple who are old friends. His wife passed a few years back, and he and his now new bride found solace in each other's company, and it grew from there.

They are both in their forties, well established, and expressly said no presents. They wanted donations to a charity she works with, Helping Hands, that provides medical services to the poor in Central America. However, we wanted to give them something beautiful - we have a couple of pieces that we were given at our wedding that we still use, that grace our table beautifully, and thought it would be a fine gift.

We gave them one of John's acorn topped casseroles. All I can tell you is the look in their eyes when they pulled it out of the box was something else. She was fighting back tears.

Thanks, John. They'll get long and loving use out of that, and they'll never forget where it came from. ~Rick


This is the kind of thing I hope for when I throw a lump of clay down on the wheelhead and think to myself, "I wonder how, through my creative enjoyment, I could make something that others would enjoy as well?"

Many thanks to Rick for sharing the story. It made my day. It adds meaning to my work, and I'll think about it often as I spend the day glazing.




Drop A Pebble In The Water
James W. Foley

Drop a pebble in the water: just a splash, and it is gone;
But there’s half-a-hundred ripples circling on and on and on,
Spreading, spreading from the center, flowing on out to the sea.
And there is no way of telling where the end is going to be.

Drop a pebble in the water: in a minute you forget,
But there’s little waves a-flowing, and there’s ripples circling yet,
And those little waves a-flowing to a great big wave have grown;
You’ve disturbed a mighty river just by dropping in a stone.

Drop an unkind word, or careless: in a minute it is gone;
But there’s half-a-hundred ripples circling on and on and on.
They keep spreading, spreading, spreading from the center as they go,
And there is no way to stop them, once you’ve started them to flow.

Drop an unkind word, or careless: in a minute you forget;
But there’s little waves a-flowing, and there’s ripples circling yet,
And perhaps in some sad heart a mighty wave of tears you’ve stirred,
And disturbed a life was happy ere you dropped that unkind word.

Drop a word of cheer and kindness: just a flash and it is gone;
But there’s half-a-hundred ripples circling on and on and on,
Bearing hope and joy and comfort on each splashing, dashing wave
Till you wouldn’t believe the volume of the one kind word you gave.

Drop a word of cheer and kindness: in a minute you forget;
But there’s gladness still a-swelling, and there’s joy a-circling yet,
And you’ve rolled a wave of comfort whose sweet music can be heard
Over miles and miles of water just by dropping one kind word.





1 comment:

  1. Occasionally I will hear a splash in the pond. Probably a bug got too close to the water.

    ;-)

    But it reminds of the unseen world that just is. Is in the pond that is!

    Blogs make splashes for me, too. Thanks for your thoughts!

    ReplyDelete