It's early, maybe even too early but the chirping Robins outside my window don't care about my rest. They are too excited for a brand new day to begin,"wake up everyone, the sun is rising!" Chirp, chirp, chirp.
In my morning slumber with a cup of coffee in my hand and notebook in my lap I began to daydream of the days past. I was thinking about my beginnings in New Mexico, my friendships, freedoms and lessons learned. My early 20's. Those were difficult lessons and often they were difficult to swallow. Equally they were some of the best times I ever had. I flew with the wind.
Maturity is humorous in retrospect. In our teens we know everything about everything. In our 20's we realize we know nothing. Our sheltered view of the world is not one of reality. In our 30's we begin to get comfortable in our own skin and learn that it's okay to say no without going into a guilt ridden downward spiral. Our 40's, well, those lessons are still years away for me.
In my 20's I did something most unexpected and somewhat uncommon compared to others my age. I packed up and left college due to my many disappointments at the University and found a potter to apprentice with. He taught me a tremendous amount about clay and firing, his name is Jarrett West. Jarrett has more spirit and enthusiasm for clay and life than anyone I have ever met.
In my apprenticeship with the West family, my friend and I needed a place to live. We were granted permission to put up a tipi or build a temporary structure on their land. Build a temporary structure we did. The shanty shack, complete with attached dog shack on the outside.
The shanty was an 8' X 10' structure that cost us about $80.00 to build and was primarily constructed with recycled building material. We had scrap pieces of rusted tin complete with multiple holes, plywood, a broken door, old windows and an old gymnasium hardwood floor. The flooring was the centerpiece of the shanty although hardly enough space to play a game of basketball. Inside we had bunk beds, an old wood stove for heating and cooking, shelving and a milk crate to lounge on.
Much of our time was spent surviving and taking care of our daily needs. Gathering firewood in the arroyo, hauling in water by hand, preparing dinner, washing dishes and taking solar showers. Water was most precious and the minimal waste of it was of the utmost importance. There was such a simplicity and honesty in those daily chores, something that takes minutes to do in a conventional home took us hours to complete. I loved it and in many ways miss the challenges of simple living.
To me, life in the shanty shack was a way of testing myself. It was a cleansing of my selfish and over indulgent ways and attitudes. I had to learn that happiness can only be found in your heart and contentedness could only be found within. Could I survive in the world? What did I truly need to survive in the world? In those 6 months that I lived in the shanty shack I learned that I needed water, food, warmth, friendship, good health and love. After that I knew that I would be okay.
As the years have flown by there have many other hardships and challenges in my life. During those times I reflect on the shanty with fondness and remind myself that I have what I need. Someway, somehow, as I am getting older and a smidgen wiser my life has become more complicated and my responsibilities greater. I'm still figuring out who I am and what I desire but one certainty is that I have what I need and more.
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