Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Nice to meet you and thoughts on perfection





Rub a dub dub, Three men in a tub, And who do you think they be? The butcher, the baker, The candlestick maker. Turn them out, knaves all three


Who am I?
  • I’d like to tell you I’m a writer. But writers make time to write.
  • I’d like to tell you I’m a photographer. But photographers know what they are doing behind the lens.
  • I’d like to tell you I’m a crafter. But crafters are, well, crafty.
  • I’d like to tell you I’m a sewer. But sewers have fancy machines.
  • I’d like to tell you I’m a housewife. But housewives don’t have jobs.
  • I’d like to tell you I’m a career woman. But career women don’t scrub their own toilets.
  • I’d like to tell you I’m a knitter. But knitters don’t leave holes.
  • I’d like to tell you I’m a doting mother. But doting mothers are never exhausted.
  • I’d like to tell you I’m a baker. But bakers measure everything precisely.
  • I’d like to tell you I’m a cook. But cooks are good at following recipes.
  • I’d like to tell you I’m a veterinarian. But veterinarians don’t question their abilities.
  • I’d like to tell you I’m a farmer. But farmers own more than four chickens.
  • I’d like to tell you I’m a wife. But wives always make time for their husbands.
  • I’d like to tell you I’m a voracious reader. But voracious readers read every night.
  • I’d like to tell you I’m an athlete. But athletes aren’t out-of-shape.
  • I'd like to tell you I'm a piper. But pipers own a set of bagpipes.
There is only one thing that I can tell you and that is I am me. Nice to meet you.

+++++++++++
On Perfection

After eight months I finished knitting my Moderne Baby Blanket. This blanket, originally, was for a baby. But that birth has come and gone.

In the beginning the blanket went with me everywhere I went, snuggled in my carryall bag. I knit at the pool, during slow periods at work, at the allergist, etc.

Also in that carryall bag? An ink pen. Specifically a leaking blue ink pen. And the ink managed to touch only the lightest colored yarn on the blanket - the apple green. Yes. It stained. Permanently.

Due to it’s imperfections the blanket lost it’s gifting status and became mine. And it was subsequently shoved into the closet to be completed at a later date. Because, as you well know, knitting for others takes precedence over knitting for oneself.

Well this week I finally pulled the thing out and completed it. Besides the stain it contains many other imperfections. The border was inadvertently knit in two similar but different yarns. The colors don’t knit together perfectly. It has other hiccups here and there.

And yet. This imperfect blanket is perfect for keeping my lap warm on chilly nights. Just as my messy house is a perfect shield against the rain and wind. Smooshed cupcakes still taste delectable and my scuffed shoes still protect my feet.

The revelation? Well it's not really a revelation. It's something you and I have known all along. Perfection doesn’t exist. Never has and never will. We need to let go. To embrace our stains. We are all perfectly imperfect.

And so it seems I am the butcher, the baker and the candlestick maker. Who knew?

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

i love this post!

the "who i am" thing really got to me. somedays, i feel like im not...enough. im not good enough at sewing, writing, cooking, photography, etc.. to really claim any of those as a title. but i am just me. so be it.

and the blanket is lovely. imperfections and all.

Joy! said...

I really needed to read this post today. Sometimes I get so jealous of people who accomplish great & beautiful things. I also "do" a lot of things, but as you said, I don't always feel I can "claim" them. I try to remember that the doing is more important than the ideal of a label.

On the other hand, I seem to accept imperfection more in things than in myself. Huh, I have a lot more thoughts on this than will fit in one comment! Thanks for giving me so much to think about.

Anonymous said...

"Jack of all trades; expert at nothing." That's me too. As much as I'd like to be an expert at something, I'd hate to think of all the fun experiences I'd have missed out on while giving so many different things a go.

Sheryl Rayner said...

Nothing beats being kind to yourself. Thanks again for showing us how to be graceful in the midst of everyday life.

Gayle said...

Perfection may not exist, but this post is pretty darn close to it! So perfectly written. I love the blanket. I'm working on a crochet blanket and I discovered that I made a few mistakes (all in one row) and I left them. As I get older I get more and more okay with imperfections!

victoria said...

vegs have abilities? I'm in big trouble. ;-)

Unknown said...

Ah, another lesson in being, not doing! You are all these things, not because of what you do, but because of what you are. Love your blog!

Michelle, Queen Behind the Lens! said...

LOL. I'm trying to leave a comment AND keep my 2 yo from getting pizza all over the couch. I love this post! Thank you so much for your honesty!