Just found this and love it
What is he?
-A man, of course.
Yes, but what does he do?
-He lives and is a man.
Oh quite! But he must work. He must have a job of some sort
-Why?
Because obviously he’s not one of the leisured classes.
-I don’t know. He has lots of leisure. And he makes quite beautiful chairs.
There you are then! He’s a cabinet maker.
-No, no
Anyhow a carpenter and a joiner.
-Not at all.
But you said so
-What did I say?
That he made chairs and was a joiner and carpenter
-I said he made chairs, but I did not say he was a carpenter.
All right then he is just an amateur?
-Perhaps! would you say a thrush was a professional flautist, or just an amateur?
I’d say it was just a bird
-And I say he is just a man.
DH Lawrence
Fantastic. I’m writing that on my shed wall. Is that Jojos ladder back from mikes? Looks a beauty.
This is perfect.
Robin – I first read this in Bill Coperthwaite’s book A Handmade Life. Sadly, Bill died in a car accident last month on icy roads in Maine. Jogge & I were writing back & forth about him, and Jogge asked “what shall we refer to him as in the film about Wille?” – and I thought well, he builds yurts, he makes nice spoons, etc; but in the end, he’s ‘just a man! of course…
Peter your post after Bills death was excellent never got around to comment on it…but it turned me on to his book and I’m waiting for a copy right now..
Beautiful. Thanks for sharing that, Robin.
Thanks for this post! Makes me think of the sentiment that “simple” is not a negative term rather the height of understanding. thanks for all you do!
I am just a woman, wanting to just live life, and I was talking about this very thing with a friend an hour or so ago! Why is there all this pressure and cultural expectation to have a “career”?
I found this website because I am making a shelving unit and my son wanted me to oil the wood this time, instead of varnishing it as I usually do. I was trying to find out what kind of oil is best for finishing wood. When I saw the above, I immediately sent it to the friend I was just talking to. She will understand . . .
Been trying to convey that same sentiment for a long time now….nice to here it so eloquently put…cheers..