with humility...

I dreamed last night that I ascended a very long dark staircase and opened a door into a softly lit room. There was a table and a lamp, glowing in welcome. As it appeared to be the home of others, I closed the door and descended down into the street.

Where do such dreams come from? I had been thinking of an old friend, who likely occupies a room like that. He had led a meditation group in Springdale of which I had been a part. It was suggested of him, that he had spiritual powers. He made no such claims. His purpose was to build a group of awareness in which each person might be of some support to the others and that each might thereby grow in consciousness.

We have something that sort of resembles that now with facebook, instragram and all. We connect with each other over networks and wires and in rooms in which folks gather in denial of others outside the group, and hold tightly to their opinions, regardless of how much they are thereby restrained from a direct encounter with the facts.

One thing I can say about my friend in Springdale, he was kind and had no pretense. He thought only of others and little for himself. He did not seek to place his on name on top of things. And thereby one can learn the difference between a wise man and a charlatan.

There is a humility to be found in craftsmanship. You try something and it fails and you, having acknowledged your mistakes, attempt to make ammends. The craftsman's best tool is forgiveness.

To those locked in dark chambers of their own making, I advise, carefully avoid arrogance. It is what sets human beings apart.

You can find the Arkansas Made article about ESSA here: http://www.arkansas-made.com/essa-goes-big-18 The photo of Dale Custer teaching blacksmithing is from that article.

Make, fix and create...