Little Helpers?

I went into the kitchen today to clear my crafts out, (I've been making, and selling on Etsy) so that the boyfriend could game with his friends, and I found four half finished large red gnome hats. I of course listed them, and  finished them in the living room, while the kitchen was occupied. I even sold one of them while I was finishing them.

The thing is I didn't remember starting them, and was convinced that I had finished, and sold out of them. It made me think about the fairy tale about the shoe maker and the elves. And here, for your viewing pleasure, The Shoemaker and the Elves, as recorded by The Grimm brothers.

There was once a shoemaker, who worked very hard and was very honest: but still he could not earn enough to live upon; and at last all he had in the world was gone, save just leather enough to make one pair of shoes.

Then he cut his leather out, all ready to make up the next day, meaning to rise early in the morning to his work. His conscience was clear and his heart light amidst all his troubles; so he went peaceably to bed, left all his cares to Heaven, and soon fell asleep. In the morning after he had said his prayers, he sat himself down to his work; when, to his great wonder, there stood the shoes all ready made, upon the table. The good man knew not what to say or think at such an odd thing happening. He looked at the workmanship; there was not one false stitch in the whole job; all was so neat and true, that it was quite a masterpiece.

The same day a customer came in, and the shoes suited him so well that he willingly paid a price higher than usual for them; and the poor shoemaker, with the money, bought leather enough to make two pairs more. In the evening he cut out the work, and went to bed early, that he might get up and begin betimes next day; but he was saved all the trouble, for when he got up in the morning the work was done ready to his hand. Soon in came buyers, who paid him handsomely for his goods, so that he bought leather enough for four pair more. He cut out the work again overnight and found it done in the morning, as before; and so it went on for some time: what was got ready in the evening was always done by daybreak, and the good man soon became thriving and well off again.

One evening, about Christmas-time, as he and his wife were sitting over the fire chatting together, he said to her, ’I should like to sit up and watch tonight, that we may see who it is that comes and does my work for me.’ The wife liked the thought; so they left a light burning, and hid themselves in a corner of the room, behind a curtain that was hung up there, and watched what would happen.

As soon as it was midnight, there came in two little naked dwarfs; and they sat themselves upon the shoemaker’s bench, took up all the work that was cut out, and began to ply with their little fingers, stitching and rapping and tapping away at such a rate, that the shoemaker was all wonder, and could not take his eyes off them. And on they went, till the job was quite done, and the shoes stood ready for use upon the table. This was long before daybreak; and then they bustled away as quick as lightning.

The next day the wife said to the shoemaker. ’These little wights have made us rich, and we ought to be thankful to them, and do them a good turn if we can. I am quite sorry to see them run about as they do; and indeed it is not very decent, for they have nothing upon their backs to keep off the cold. I’ll tell you what, I will make each of them a shirt, and a coat and waistcoat, and a pair of pantaloons into the bargain; and do you make each of them a little pair of shoes.’

The thought pleased the good cobbler very much; and one evening, when all the things were ready, they laid them on the table, instead of the work that they used to cut out, and then went and hid themselves, to watch what the little elves would do.

About midnight in they came, dancing and skipping, hopped round the room, and then went to sit down to their work as usual; but when they saw the clothes lying for them, they laughed and chuckled, and seemed mightily delighted.

Then they dressed themselves in the twinkling of an eye, and danced and capered and sprang about, as merry as could be; till at last they danced out at the door, and away over the green.

The good couple saw them no more; but everything went well with them from that time forward, as long as they lived.

Part Seventeen: Who am I, and where am I going?

I am my parents daughter, the perfectly blended combination, of my Mothers crazy, pride, and beauty, and my Fathers mischief, humor, and lack of regard for limitations. I have all of the keys I need, and I am enjoying unlocking the doors.

A few years ago, during a particularily good meditation, in a particularily dark time in my life, It dawned on my, that I needed to take a more active roll in painting the picture of who I was. Up to that point I had been letting who I was with define who I was. That was the basis of the original Brain Stew project. I'm pleased to say today, that single thought, has changed my path completely.

Today, I am working part time as a theatre technician, and I spend my spare time sewing at the home I share with Shop Monkey, who I started dating a little over a year ago. This summer I started narrowing down my hobbies a little because I felt like I needed more focus. It's interesting to see how far a little bit more focus has taken me. I stopped going to rugby, and started focusing on my costume making, and suddenly I had an online store that actually sells things that I have made.

It's funny. I feel like I have a better understanding of who I am at this point in my life than I ever have before, but I'm having a harder time putting it into words. Maybe I'm having a hard time admitting that I am finally an adult.

Any ways, onto the question... Who am I, and where am I going?

I am a strong woman, who has an idea. I want to, as my friend Jeff says, "live the good life, because someone has to do it." I don't do well with authority, and so I'd like to be my own boss, and maybe someday do something that will really make a difference in the world. I'm not sure how to go about creating the change I want to see in the world, so I've started with some of the things I know.

I know how to sew. I know how to make things. I know how to photograph, and I know how to take care of my friends.  I figure if I combine all those things, and I treat customers like my friends I might just get somewhere. On top of that, I know what causes touch my heart, and someday I'd like to help further them.

Perhaps this year, I should focus on how I can change the world around me for the better. It could be small things, it could be big things, but part of what I believe is that this is part of my purpous in life. I want to climb as high as I can, and I want to take the people I love with me.

Part Seventeen Prelude

Well, my last Brain Stew entry was some time ago. I've decided to get back to my writing in the hopes that it will help me focus a little, and keep me at least partially sane as my life gets more hectic in the coming months..

Part Sixteen, posed the question, "what defines me?". I read it, and it was true at the time, now however, it requires updating, as does the entire Brain Stew project.

Brain Stew stemmed from me trying to pull myself off the brink of a very deep, dark chasm. It was a way for me to figure out who I was, and where I might be going. I endded up with sixteen insightfully helpful blog posts about who I was, and why I liked that. 

Now it is time for me to move on, onto the subject of who I want to be, and how I am going to get there. I'll start by going back to where I endded last time, what defines me. Who am I? I think I'll have to give it some thought...