What the heck?
I was looking around on the plane today and saw a woman furiously knitting a scarf or blanket or hat or something. I’m not exactly sure what she was knitting or even why she was knitting for that matter. I mean, I’m sure that whatever she was making could be purchased pretty cheaply with those everyday low prices at Wal-Mart or blue light specials at Charlie’s favorite place. She even made a mistake and unwound just about a whole row before beginning again just before where her mistake happened. The annoyingly long and redundant process was really starting to grind my gears and in my mind I told her that it wasn’t worth the time and effort and that she should save her energy for something more worthwhile and just give up.
It’s like spending months and months working in a garden to grow a cucumber that could be purchased for a couple bucks at the supermarket. You don’t have to worry about weeds and it doesn’t require being patient or nurturing for that matter. Why bake an apple pie when you can get one with your happy meal at McDonald’s? Why write a poem when you can watch a movie? Why run for fun when you can play Dance Dance Revolution? Why work through root causes of anxiety when you can have a smoke? Why allow yourself to feel pain when doing drugs can provide instant happiness? Why work through conflict in relationships when you can just get new ones? Why do some people still choose to take the long route when the shortcut is right there to be had? Why do anything that requires effort, skill development, hard work, perseverance and determination?
Maybe the sense of pride and accomplishment and completion makes it all worthwhile. Maybe there is a deep desire and even need in all of us to create. Perhaps we can all go back to beginning again where our mistake left us off. Maybe we like making things because we were made in the image of our Maker.
