Tell Heaven

On my run thru White’s Woods this morning I came up with the meaning of life. My Uncle Jimmie the potter used to tell me that less than 15% of a potter’s time was spent doing what they love to do- throw and make pots. The rest of the time was spent in maintenance- making glazes, making clay, cleaning, grinding, etc. etc. You know the list of 182 duties from my book.

So at the beginning of the love affair with clay you go to the guild or school and you make pots. Someone else does all the maintenance. Wow, this is soooooo cool being a potter. Then you go full time and find you have sooooo little time to make pots and soooo much maintenance to attend to.

I think the same goes for relationships. In the beginning you get all dolled up, go out for dinner and good times. The maintenance is left at home either already done or waiting for your return.  Then you decide to go full time. Maintenance, maintenance, and more maintenance. You need maintenance, the house needs maintenance, the yard/garden needs maintenance, the groceries, the laundry, the car, the book work, email maintenance, friendship maintenance and on and on.

Yesterday I decided not to go for my run in White’s Woods because I had too much maintenance to do. So I forget about my own personal maintenance in favour of all the other things that need to be done. I need the run for my physical, emotional, spiritual and mental well being.  This is my hour each day that is for me and yet I see this pile of other stuff and buckle in. I even skipped my music night to do the damn taxes. Dumb, dumb, dumb!

So full time pottery, full time relationships require some potting time. Some time to be creative interesting and thoughtful. I’m too busy is a piss poor excuse. You will always be too busy..

So if you are the lucky bugger that gets to go in the studio each day and magically groceries appear and are put away, the laundry gets done and put away, the house is clean, the damn book keeping is attended to and all the maintenance of life is looked after for you I suggest when you arrive at the Pearly Gates you just say “ No thanks Pete, I found Heaven on Earth. I’ll just be movin’ along!

These are some pics of a walk Cathi Jefferson and I took in White’s Wood. Food for the soul.