Stepping Through Life

The other day I was feeling stifled by my limited budget. Then last night on television I saw Slumdog Millionaire. I haven't been to the movies in years so I never saw it when it came out in theaters. I felt guilty for feeling sorry for myself when I have so much in comparison to those portrayed in the movie. I can't imagine what it would be like to live in the streets as a child, have no home, no parents, no food, no shelter, nor any shoes. Not to mention hardships and torture, both physical and mental, that Jamal, his brother, and so many others endure. I'm not sure I'd survive nor do I think I'd be as positive about life as Jamal approached adulthood. 

I made this stepped tower today; it's about fourteen inches tall and four inches in diameter. Perhaps I was thinking of life as a series of steps. After I put it in the drying cabinet I thought about how stiff it looked and went back and added the cut out holes. I plan to weave some type of wire or fabric between the holes after final firing. Next month I'll start collecting social security; we're looking forward to a small increase in our income and perhaps a vacation in the fall. I'm stepping through life, many times the steps seem harder to climb the older I get. Maybe a wire or woven fabric would be easier to navigate. And yet there's that reservoir of experience below to draw from. That's the way I should think of life. My life isn't a series of heartaches or hardships but a reservoir of experiences to draw from for the future.

When I bring out a fresh block of clay, I cut the whole block up at the same time and put all the sections in plastic bags for the weeks work. It makes it easier for me to just take the precut blocks out and roll them and I re-use the plastic bags over and over again. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.