Artisans love to share their passion

It was so windy last weekend I almost expected Dorothy and her little dog, Toto, to soar by. I didn’t see any flying houses but a tent did catch the breeze and had to be relocated. I was attending a fall festival at the time.
I wish I had brought paper with me because there were so many fascinating people at the festival. The group I was with had a guy who longed to move back to Brazil where he had met his wife. This was out of the question because of the new grandchildren who lived close by. I learned more about Brazil in one afternoon that I ever did in all the years I attended school.
I talked with another man who had bought a spinning wheel because it reminded him of one owned by his grandmother. He became interested in the spinning process and was demonstrating several different spinning techniques. I even found out how a plant, flax, was turned into thread. One of the objects he used to prepare the flax looked like a wicked bed of nails and had been manufactured in the 1700’s. I could hear the appreciation in his voice when he showed me the date stamped in its underside. If it hadn’t been so chilly outside I could have learned much more but the warmth of the car beckoned to me.
I also saw the biggest, fluffiest dog I had ever seen. It was a snowy white Great Pyrenees. It was a therapy dog. I bet the guy with the spinning wheel could have made an entire shirt out of all the hair on that animal. I have seen full-grown sheep that were smaller. The dog and its owner were going to visit a nursing home later in the day.
I talked with people who were demonstrating Indian dances. It is important to keep the old cultures alive but I wonder if white folks are more interested in the romance of what is perceived to be a more innocent time when people were pure of heart than in reality. But, to each his own, is my belief.
There were many other people there demonstrating their talents and sharing their passions with anyone who showed the least bit of interest.
Every time I attend something like this I am amazed at how artistic people are. There are painters, spinners, dancers, woodcarvers, storytellers and many others who are more than willing to share their gifts with the world.
We are all given the ability to do something. We all have gifts. Most of us take these gifts for granted because we find it easy to do whatever it is that we do best. Ask a good cook for a recipe and she or he will likely look at you blankly and say there isn’t a recipe, they simply add a little of this or that until it tastes right. Ask someone how they learned to draw and they will tell you that they have always drawn. Ask them why they enjoy doing what they do and much of the time they will be at a loss for words. Their gifts are so much a part of who they are that they cannot separate themselves from what they do.
The fun thing about these gatherings is that no matter what the weather, the people who are there want to share their passions with everybody. Stop and talk with the person who grew that massive pumpkin and you will learn exactly what was done to pamper the pumpkin. This will be different from the other pumpkin growers, as they all have something special they do to encourage the giant fruit.
Stop by the woodcarvers booth and you will be offered a chance to carve a little and invited to their next meeting. Pet the giant dog and the person on the other end of the leash will be more than willing to talk with you. Listen to Indian dancers and you will be loaded down with as many printouts and flyers as they can press into your hands.
The message is that everybody has a passion. The other thing to be learned is that, given the chance, people will talk to you as long as you’re willing to listen. And if you listen, you may discover a new passion of your own.[[In-content Ad]]