Friday, October 1, 2010

Rubaiyat

Euan Craig has one of the most thoughtful and articulate posts I have ever read today on his blog. One year when I still lived with my parents my mom asked for The Rubaiyat for Christmas. It sat on a side table in the living room and I would pick it up from time to time for words of wisdom and guidance. So nice to be reminded of this wonderful book. Thanks Euan for such a thoughtful post!!! If you haven't read it, get over there and enjoy!!
Here is a bit of his post, I just love this:
And so I chose to become a potter, not because of what I wanted to do, but rather who I wanted to become. I do not have the things which most people associate with success; but I love my wife and my children and they love me, and I sleep with a clear conscience. As I write I hold one of my goblets and sip plum wine that a friend made. It is sweet and has a subtle almond fragrance which goes nicely with the cheese toasted on our home baked bread. I have today and it is good. I cannot heal the world, nor can I always take away the anguish from the hearts of those I love, though I wish with all my heart that I could. But I can give form to my passion, and through these vessels perhaps give joy to others and help them find succour in simply living. And perhaps in a hundred or eight hundred years this clay that my fingers have touched will touch the lips of another and give them hope. Just as Omar's words reached over eight hundred years and all the barriers of language and culture to touch my heart, and these words I write tonight may reach some anonymous reader elsewhere on the globe.

3 comments:

Dennis Allen said...

Very nice.

andrea gardiner freeman said...

Wow... I have struggled with the idea of profession and contributions to the world for so long that it has crippled me a bit.
I am looking forward to reading more.

Pure, simple, honest and full of integrity.

Thanks.

Sister Creek Potter said...

Yes, and yes. It is a wonderful post (and the one before). He is such a thoughtful and inspirational person. I had the incredible opportunity to meet Euan and visit in his home/studio. I watched him making pots while entertaining visitors and being incredibly patient with his little children as he worked frantically to be ready for an important show in Tokyo. I was so impressed with what he accomplished in a tiny studio and his description of his process for designing his pots.