One of my favorite getting to know you/dinner party/bored and curious questions is "if we all lived on a commune, what would be your contribution?" I find it interesting because it shows what people truly enjoy. (It's also a little depressing to hear how few of us are actually doing what we wish we could be doing.) For my contribution I'd be a furniture maker. Never mind the fact that I've only made a few tables in my life, or that my woodworking tools were left behind when we moved to LA. The smell of sawdust and the calming repetition of hand planing soothes me and I enjoy it tremendously.

Eventually, we want to buy a house here, and when we do, I'm getting my wood shop back together. I'd love it if that shop could be my little cottage industry. Over the weekend I made a bed rail for Bean. It took me all of 20 minutes, but it felt really good. I'd rather the kids see me producing something tangible than wondering why Mama's such a crank after being in the office all day. The only downside is money. They say the only way to end up with a little bit of money from woodworking is to start with a great, big pile of it and watch as you piss it away. This is why the commune question is illuminating. In a perfect world, money wouldn't be a consideration.

What about you? If money/time/ability weren't a problem, what would your contribution be?

Labels: misc, time wasters