The vision

The vision, the future, what is the goal?

I've had the question growing for years. What is the goal, what do you want from all these words? What do I expect from all the busted knuckles and empty check books.

It's easy to ramble on about something, spitting worthless words in the attempt to convince the reader of my conviction. And conviction is what drives oneself. That belief that what I'm doing is important, that keeping the flame lit is important to the history of the craft. That it means something,  if to no one other than myself.

That when all the dust has settled and I am gone back to the earth, that all my passion and the passion of those that came before me will be available to share. That family, friends, children and children's children will be able to look back on the level dedication I have for a craft, for life and the ones around me.

Broad as the word is, craft, craftsmanship, creativity, quality. Taking that thing you like or are good at and following it as far as you can. " Form follows function" that phrase has lingered in and out of my life personally and professionally since before I could drive, and the little engineering firm that has  spent fifty years perfecting what they started with that philosophy.

It's the philosophy behind it that drives this little corner of the written world.

My vision of what this four thousand pounds can be. I have not the money to buy a dream, there will be no roller chassis arriving via delivery truck. No brakes bigger then the wheels that came on it. No high dollar polished floor shop will milk away my children's college fund.

I have not the talent to make magic in metals, creating mastery from empty air. Pounding and forming flat lifeless cold steel into organic creation, I do have the determination to learn, to read and practice until it is right, and the patience to wait.

I have not the time to spend day in and day out slaving away in a tiny garage. I have hours and minutes at a time, thought of and calculated to maximize there effectiveness.

I do however have the ability to see the vision, to see past the rust and positive camber, to see the other end, to see the potential. It will never be the sistine chapel but I have the vision to see what it will be in the end and the patience to share that vision.