Posts – Posts – Francis Meyrick

The Wood cries out to the Chisel

Posted on November 26, 2014

www.stepsonmyroad.org

The Wood cries out to the Chisel

The wood cried out in agony to the chisel: “Why are you hurting me so?”
But for a long time, the chisel never replied.

At length, when the shapeless block of wood had been transformed, the woodworker stood back, and said:

“Like this I have made you. In this shape. Through pain, and doubt, through confusion and the violence so common in this world, I have forged you into what you are today. For better or worse, I command you to go out from here, and live each day to the fullest of your abilities. Be gentle with the world. Remember this: without the chisel of Life’s vicissitudes, without the bite and cut of Life’s Injustices, without the stab of Remorse, you would never be what you are today”.

There are many different ways writers and poets have tried to express the same simple truth:

Life is what makes us.

Compassion, Empathy is carved out of us. It’s not until we get hurt, not once, but over and over again, that we maybe start to learn what it feels like. Carving implies hurt. It’s not a gentle process.

I’ve been a slow learner. A “Dummkopf” as the Germans like to say. I’ve messed up so many times, I’ve lost count. The risk in Life is that so many of us grow super sensitive to our own feelings, but forget the feelings of others. It’s called self-absorbed, and lots of us do that.

Slowly, very slowly, even this Neanderthal Dufus (kind of) figured a couple of things out. Maybe.

I recommend Kahlil Gibran’s book “The Prophet” for a far, far more eloquent description of the process of Life maturing us. From a rough block of wood, into something that resembles a feeling, warm, caring human being.

I blog about this in various ways, kind of simple stuff, me tackling the A-B-C of things that are above me most of the time, but here you go, anyway. One of my attempts.

The Oystercatcher, who silently cried out for help

Exile