Over the years, I've rebuilt multiple djembe hand drums by purchasing rough mahogany shells and completely reworking them into playable artwork. There's just something about the tactile nature of a hand drum that draws me, along with beautifully oil-finished wood and of course lots of knot work!
One day, I brought a drum shell down to the galley prior to taking it on deck to sand. The cook, a lovely woman in her late 70's and still going strong, started asking me questions about it. I've known her for about 10 years now, having first met her when she injured her ankle and had to be helped off the boat she was working on. I picked her up with a smaller vessel, brought her to the small boat harbor, and then practically carried her to her hotel room because she couldn't walk.
When
I brought the drum shell down, I had been working with her steadily for about 2 years. Though she almost never went on deck to help like the other cooks, we didn't mind because she took such good care of us. You often could hear her talking to herself and to various galley appliances, and singing to herself as she worked. Sure she might be a little crazy, but what a sweetheart!
When she showed an interest in my artwork, I told her this drum was hers! And then I put twice as much effort than usual into making it special. The process took about 3 weeks from start to finish, the entire time spent in gratitude for her. I wish I had a photo of her when I gave it to her, so I could share with you this indelible mental image! That memory is worth more to me than anything I can create.
If you had it in your power to create something that to the right person is a priceless treasure, would you take it? Things generally don't bring joy, but they become a symbol of love when they are wrapped in kindness.
One day, I brought a drum shell down to the galley prior to taking it on deck to sand. The cook, a lovely woman in her late 70's and still going strong, started asking me questions about it. I've known her for about 10 years now, having first met her when she injured her ankle and had to be helped off the boat she was working on. I picked her up with a smaller vessel, brought her to the small boat harbor, and then practically carried her to her hotel room because she couldn't walk.
When
I brought the drum shell down, I had been working with her steadily for about 2 years. Though she almost never went on deck to help like the other cooks, we didn't mind because she took such good care of us. You often could hear her talking to herself and to various galley appliances, and singing to herself as she worked. Sure she might be a little crazy, but what a sweetheart!When she showed an interest in my artwork, I told her this drum was hers! And then I put twice as much effort than usual into making it special. The process took about 3 weeks from start to finish, the entire time spent in gratitude for her. I wish I had a photo of her when I gave it to her, so I could share with you this indelible mental image! That memory is worth more to me than anything I can create.
If you had it in your power to create something that to the right person is a priceless treasure, would you take it? Things generally don't bring joy, but they become a symbol of love when they are wrapped in kindness.
972 Reads
- Posted by MadronaMan
- Jun 3, 2017
- Comments (6)
Readers Comments
splain wrote: That is just beautiful
patjos wrote: I recently read a children’s book where all the London statues came to life and ran amok. The ones which were made so as to be purely functional such as gargoyles and waterspouts had no heart and did the bad stuff, but the ones like the Unknown soldier, Admiral Nelson at Trafalgar Square and Eros at Piccadilly were all created with the heart of their creator put into them during the making of them, these were the goodies! I like it that we can put our heart into ‘things’ and give them life. Your drums sound wonderful (although that’s a pun, I bet they do!) Patrick
mindyjourney wrote: Thank you for your gift of time, energy, talent, kindness and love in refurbishing drum for that special woman â¤ï¸. Those are the very gifts that make such a "thing" priceless :)))). I am a big believer in what we create flows Divine energy, and in manifesting, share that "power" with others.
leoladyc728 wrote: beautiful looking drum. A friend of mine brought me back one from Gambia. Thank you for gifting this woman
autumnsky38 wrote: Wow!! You are SO talented!
sanjoy mitra wrote: That is just beautiful
