I recently read an interview with American author Richard D. Mohr who wrote a book about Arts and Crafts pottery makers, Frank Ingerson (1879-1968) and George Dennison (1873-1966)—”The Splendid Disarray of Beauty: The Boys, the Tiles, the Joy of Cathedral Oaks—A Study in Arts and Crafts Community” (published in 2023). Mohr’s final comments in the interview made me consider “all the things worth having.”
In my day job I manage a church office. One of my responsibilities is to maintain the keys to the buildings. I keep a spread sheet with the key numbers, date the key was issued, and date returned. Recently someone moved away and returned their key through the mail.
I enjoy writing. I do not have a novel in me or even a short story. I consider myself more suited to writing essays or personal stories. I was inspired by reading Joyce Maynard’s articles in her syndicated news column, “Domestic Affairs.” It ran in my local newspaper from 1984 to 1990. Joyce wrote about her life in a simple honest manner and it felt as if she was sitting in the same room talking to me.
Character matters. My parents taught me this—not through words, but by their actions. Our family did not talk a lot. Mealtimes were for eating and other times were reserved for work or relaxation. It seemed to never occur to my family to have discussions. However, by watching how my parents interacted with people, it was evident that character and compassion were important.
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