But then, I was struck this week by the weird way that things can be interconnected, even if only one person really sees it. Attached to this blog is a picture of a kind of strange box - something I just built in the shop. It is for a gentleman - a friend - that I work with. He sells firewood on the side. He does all of the work to get and bundle the wood and then sells it along the road. Several months ago, I asked if he would like some of the small bits and pieces that I generate in the shop to include with the offering as kindling. He thought that would work and we tried it. Now, every week or so I bring him a box of kindling. Apparently his customers like it. Jason places the box I bring him beside his firewood and often it is just picked up by the first customer, rather than portioned out as we had thought it might be done. As an aside, he mentioned that if he could secure a more stable box to the ground and simply pour the pieces of kindling into it, the process would be better. Off to the shop I went.
Now, here come all of the connections. The plywood this box is a piece of 3/4" treated plywood we used for a ramp that we needed when my daughter was in a wheelchair. And that piece of plywood came from a family friend, Jim B, from the Twin Cities. He hauled it to Des Moines to help me build the ramp. Several lifelong friends work at the lumberyard he brought it from. Interestingly enough, Jim has decided it is time to do something new with his life. I'm certain that every one of us who knows Jim, hopes this is one of the best decisions that he has ever made.
For the top of the box, I used finished oak pieces which came from a neighboring Toybox unit owner. Over the last year or so, my shop has become the place where wooden things go when nobody knows exactly what to do with them. Sort of like the home for misfit toys in the Pixar movie. In this case, the pieces came from an oak bunk bed that was no longer needed. I've used parts of that bed in several different projects, now with some of the last of it going to the kindling box.
Next on the list is something that you may barely be able to see - a brand mark declaring that the item was made in 'Jim's Toybox.' The brand was a Christmas/Birthday gift from my kids, Lyndsey and Andrew, in Lees Summit, Missouri. It was such a thoughtful gift. I use it on everything that I make and each time that I use it, I wonder how many years into the future that brand will still be visible. While the kindling box won't be around that long, the rocking horse I'm building for the Iowa State Fair Corndog Kickoff will be a treasured childhood toy for many years to come.
As I think about all the people, places, and processes involved in creating a simple kindling box, I am amazed. This item started my thought process today, as I considered the ways the world is interconnected without people even realizing it. Over the next days, weeks, and months, people will stop by Jason's house to buy firewood and pick up kindling. Through that action they will become part of a much bigger interconnected story, though they have no idea these connections even exist.
Okay, that seems deep enough for today. My challenge is to think about the interconnectivity in your life and the lives of those you know. Often times, thinking about and recognizing them can bring a smile.
Exciting things are happening at the Toybox. Still working on my sister's camper - I need to share more pictures. Additionally, I started building a desktop for a friend, and another person has reached out to me about building custom bookcases. Things are busy at the shop.
I hope my words give you a moment to think, hopefully about people and connections that you haven't thought of for long time. Take a moment today and reach out to one of those people. You may be amazed at what it brings back to you.
