Yvonne Hollenbeck: When ‘they’ are you
Day in and day out you hear, “They should do this” or “they should do that.” We recently experienced primary elections where we heard many comments regarding “They should do a better job fixing the roads,” or “They should have more polling places,” and other similar comments. Regarding elections, “They” usually refers to government officials. But sometimes “They” might mean you…yourself.
There are many quilt shows around the country, in your community and mine, where the numbers of hand-quilted quilts are dwindling and are outnumbered by those made entirely by machine, with many considered as “art quilts” and a far cry from the cozy and pretty works made by our grandmothers. As one listens to comments by viewers, you will consistently hear, “They should be teaching young sewers how to hand quilt.” Who are they? There are few home economics courses in schools where basic sewing skills were once taught. Quilt shops do not offer hand-quilting lessons as their primary goal is to sell high-dollar machines. Guilds rarely offer workshops on any type of hand work, so it appears that “they” are basically individuals with knowledge and willingness to share. There was a quilt shop in Hastings, Nebraska, that asked me to teach a workshop on hand-quilting. The class filled immediately, followed by a request to do the same workshop in other communities and more recently through the SD Arts Council. It is amazing how much interest there is and it is actually quite enjoyable to be able to share this art form.
What about other skills or knowledge you might possess that could be shared with others? Everyone has a talent in one form or another, so why not share it, especially if it is something that cannot be gleaned from schools. My husband and step-son are both excellent calf ropers and have helped many-a-young person through the years. There are saddle makers, leather crafters, jewelers, even small-engine repairmen in your community that would be willing to share their knowledge if given the opportunity. My father was a well-known champion old-time fiddler. He learned the art from a neighbor who was willing to share his knowledge. My uncle was a sought-after masonry expert who learned the skill from the ground up, you might say, as he started as a tender (hod carrier) for an expert brick layer. My college educated brother-in-law that had a successful real estate business in Wyoming, along with other businesses, but desired to become a hat maker. He sought out someone willing to teach him the basics, then owned and operated a successful shop, making hats for country music stars and other notables until cancer ended his career, but it was a trade he could only learn from someone willing to teach him.
There are many professions that require higher education, but a lot of people fuel their vocation by another person. How certain materials behave, the specific sound of a perfect weld or the intuition required in traditional carpentry is not found in manuals but is learned from a more experienced and knowledgeable mentor. If you have a skill and are willing to share it, do so. If you would like to learn a skill from someone you admire, reach out to them; they can only tell you “no” if they don’t want to help you, but who knows…this might forge a friendship and enhance a career for you, and you can hopefully pass it forward.
