The Builder

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Abstract

res or rectangles. I was inspired by the ancient stone work of the Anasazi and the Aztecs and the Mayans. It was a job I accidentally stumbled into which unleashed the Builder and let him take over for around six years.But it was really hard physical work. During my stone mason years I was more buff and more tanned than at any other time in my life. While I thoroughly enjoyed working out of doors, I wanted to build something inside. So I quit the stones and built a bookstore.I never took shop in high school. At that time I had no interest in building things. I knew absolutely nothing about carpentry. As with most everything in my life I learned through blind trial and error. So to build the many bookshelves needed for the bookstore I became a self-taught carpenter. Suddenly, I was dealing with a lot of right angles. The Builder was having the time of his life.I have to say that building a bookstore is a lot more fun than running one. Once the bookstore was built the Builder went into a state of quasi-dormancy and the Shopkeeper took over. His time to shine lasted nine years.Thinking about the archetypes that periodically rear their heads in my life, I have realized that the Builder has been dormant ever since I built that bookstore. That was almost thirty years ago!When I think of all the things I have built in my life I realize that none of those things exist in my life right now. I do not have any of them anymore. I build something then move on to build something else then move on again. It is kind of like playing with Legos.Lately, I have been feeling some unease coming from the room where I keep most of my sub-personalities locked away in. I have realized

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that the Builder wants to come out and play.Yesterday was a day off from work. After morning rituals and breakfast I sat down at my desk and booted up my laptop like I do every morning. But after only half an hour I said, Screw this! and I shut the laptop down. I never turned it back on for the rest of the day. Only half an hour online in a day is a new record low for me. I spent an almost internet-free and writing-free day yesterday.And it was fantastic!So what did I do instead? First, I let the Farmer out of the locked room and he spent an hour tending to houseplants and getting the pots on the porch ready for spring planting. Then I shoved him back in the locked room and let out the Builder and I took him to the local hardware store.Exactly seven years ago today I left the Rocky Mountains and moved to the Great Plains of Turtle Island. When I did that I left 95% of all my material possessions behind, including almost all of my tools.So the Builder and I went to the hardware store and browsed for close to an hour. Finally, I whipped out the old credit card and bought some tools, a big bag of screws and some lumber. The Builder spent the rest of the day building.I might be a little sore this morning but I feel really, really good.So what did I build? That is profoundly and utterly irrelevant. The important thing is that I spent a day building. It was beyond therapeutic. The Builder has been let loose and he is happy. I cannot wait to see what he builds.Copyright by <a href="https://readmedium.com/white-feather-archive-index-c95167f7dbaf">White Feather</a>. All Rights Reserved.</article></body>

Finding joy at the hardware store

We all have sub-personalities that are tied to certain archetypes that we have chosen to explore. I have already talked about the Warrior and the Pacifist but I personally have many more. There is the Builder, the Healer, the Shopkeeper, the Monk, the Writer, the Mother, the Cook, the Preacher, the Farmer, and a few others.

While it is enlightening to discover and explore these sub-personalities and the archetypes they represent, it is also important to nurture them and allow them to complete their education. Repressing them can be unhealthy. Besides, ignoring them does not work because they will eventually come forth.

The Builder made his first appearance in my life during childhood. I was a Lego freak. I spent a ridiculous amount of time building things with Legos. I was very blessed by having a big box of thousands of Lego pieces. I would build something big and incredible then sit back and look at it for a few minutes. Then I would break apart my creation and start building something new. Those Lego pieces taught me a lot of basic building principles.

Later, in my adult years, I worked for several years as a stone mason. I almost never worked with bricks or blocks. That is boring. I worked with raw uncut stone. I built retaining walls and flagstone patios and steps — all out of doors. I artistically fit together rocks of all shapes without right angles. There were no squares or rectangles. I was inspired by the ancient stone work of the Anasazi and the Aztecs and the Mayans. It was a job I accidentally stumbled into which unleashed the Builder and let him take over for around six years.

But it was really hard physical work. During my stone mason years I was more buff and more tanned than at any other time in my life. While I thoroughly enjoyed working out of doors, I wanted to build something inside. So I quit the stones and built a bookstore.

I never took shop in high school. At that time I had no interest in building things. I knew absolutely nothing about carpentry. As with most everything in my life I learned through blind trial and error. So to build the many bookshelves needed for the bookstore I became a self-taught carpenter. Suddenly, I was dealing with a lot of right angles. The Builder was having the time of his life.

I have to say that building a bookstore is a lot more fun than running one. Once the bookstore was built the Builder went into a state of quasi-dormancy and the Shopkeeper took over. His time to shine lasted nine years.

Thinking about the archetypes that periodically rear their heads in my life, I have realized that the Builder has been dormant ever since I built that bookstore. That was almost thirty years ago!

When I think of all the things I have built in my life I realize that none of those things exist in my life right now. I do not have any of them anymore. I build something then move on to build something else then move on again. It is kind of like playing with Legos.

Lately, I have been feeling some unease coming from the room where I keep most of my sub-personalities locked away in. I have realized that the Builder wants to come out and play.

Yesterday was a day off from work. After morning rituals and breakfast I sat down at my desk and booted up my laptop like I do every morning. But after only half an hour I said, Screw this! and I shut the laptop down. I never turned it back on for the rest of the day. Only half an hour online in a day is a new record low for me. I spent an almost internet-free and writing-free day yesterday.

And it was fantastic!

So what did I do instead? First, I let the Farmer out of the locked room and he spent an hour tending to houseplants and getting the pots on the porch ready for spring planting. Then I shoved him back in the locked room and let out the Builder and I took him to the local hardware store.

Exactly seven years ago today I left the Rocky Mountains and moved to the Great Plains of Turtle Island. When I did that I left 95% of all my material possessions behind, including almost all of my tools.

So the Builder and I went to the hardware store and browsed for close to an hour. Finally, I whipped out the old credit card and bought some tools, a big bag of screws and some lumber. The Builder spent the rest of the day building.

I might be a little sore this morning but I feel really, really good.

So what did I build? That is profoundly and utterly irrelevant. The important thing is that I spent a day building. It was beyond therapeutic. The Builder has been let loose and he is happy. I cannot wait to see what he builds.