A Woodworking Nighthawk

Vol. 112, August 6th, 2024 Published a day early online

Normal People & Ikea

“Normal people would buy bookshelves at Ikea” I grunted, shoving my share of the five hundred pound machine onto the trailer. The seller of the woodworking equipment didn’t say anything. He knew I wasn’t sensible in an everyday fashion. But with a stack of rough cut oak waiting, this new jointer would make the boards straight and true. And–it’s been whirring along, making a mountain of sawdust, and some mighty fine shelving. I could go shopping for a bookcase. But I’m out to make a conversation piece from solid oak.

The rain falls on the metal shop roof, the sun returns, clouds billow up over the mountain, the sky, like our minds, a little different each hour and each day. The saw blade rings to a stop. The smell of oak fills the air, something like autumn and quality and real.

Sometimes I build something in a hurry. Not now. There’s much to learn, to practice. Guys who know craftsmanship have been patient with my incessant questions. George Strait sings on the shop speaker about oceanfront property in Arizona. Equally improbable, something beautiful is emerging from the pile of rustic lumber. I stained up the sides of the shelf yesterday. Soon it’ll hold books, and a tale of measuring at least three times before a cut.

Some Assembly Required

Freshly-stained oak boards are nearly ready for bookshelf construction.

Book of the Week

How I Edited an Agricultural Paper (Mark Twain)

This classic short story will tickle your funny bone (and make you chase down more of his tales of jumping frogs, etc). Here’s a free copy online.

Let’s Do The Twist (1960)

Chubby Checker plays “The Twist” on the Dick Clark Show, sparking the worldwide phenomenon.

Quote of the Week

“Sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”

–Lewis Carroll

Carol’s Appalachian Word of the Week

Hull–to shell. “Pull up a chair and help us hull this corn.”

Write to Us!

The Nighthawk is a new old-fashioned way to connect, published weekly. You’re invited to write back, or just enjoy reading. Let’s have some fun! It’s a social paper! Send stories, etc to: PO Box 783, Rustburg, VA 24588 or Joshurban@protonmail.com

Letters from Josh

(A weekly update from Josh Urban’s adventures on the farm and in the city. #197)

Appearing in the Altavista Journal, etc: Now What?

Howdy, folks, and welcome back to the show! I’m fired up about this American Revival idea from last week. There’s a bee in my bonnet. It’s time to step up and do some good work. What work? I’m still figuring that out. Let’s think together.

Most people agree on only one thing: times are tough. This means the flip side is true: good deeds burn brightly nowadays.

(Two side notes: having a real bee in one’s screened hat makes for an exciting afternoon, and thanks to D. for sending along a good beekeeping story, and The Canticle of the Bees, a cool poem about bees in the winter.)

The future is in the hands of the young, so I’ve been asking teenagers about the struggles they face, and how the rest of us might assist. If you’ve ever seen the zany 1982 Police Squad, I’m as corny as Leslie Nielsen’s detective character. My sources are clean-cut versions of the brilliant shoe shine Johnny, dealing out wisdom from everyday jobs. I checked in with a buddy at the grocery store. He said the economy is his big concern. “Buying a house isn’t even an option for most of us, and just look at the price of food.” He’s not concerned about the culture wars. He’s worried about bills.

Phones aren’t helping, either. Social media and endless screen time is a documented cause of distraction, depression, and anxiety. The Governor is even getting involved, pushing for a phone-free classroom. Youngkin’s order is a good start, but we’ve also outlawed drugs. It’s not hyperbole to compare phone use with addictive substances, powerful as they are. I’m skeptical at the efficacy of bans. Taking phones away during school hours seems a good idea, and I support it, but there are glaring problems.

It reinforces the idea that “they” are going to fix it. Could any set of laws build the ideal society? They’ve tried that before, comrade. More subtly, waiting for “them” to solve a problem turns us into victims of circumstance. (Then we make fake punk bands that whine about The Man.)

Secondly, students will be left staring at their empty phone hand, still craving the screen, asking “now what?”

If you want to eat healthy, chuck the doughnuts, but put something else in the fridge. What’s a healthy alternative to screen time? What’s an answer to the angst of the times? What if we go a step further? Instead of substituting for a phone, look around and see what needs to be done. Being useful has a strange way of chasing away pesky ghosts.

We could use a few heroes: welders, good neighbors, bricklayers, programmers, sons, daughters, siblings, parents, relatives, students, mechanics, writers, musicians, honest politicians, and people contributing. It’s the chance of a lifetime. Would you step up?

“And step up where, Josh?” I’m still thinking on that. There’s plenty of good work right in front of me, so that’s where I’m starting. Got ideas? Send them along. We sure could use your help as we figure this out in real time. Strange as it sounds, I’m excited. It’s the ultimate adventure.

–Josh