Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Of Form and Substance

Dad and I are building again, after a couple of weeks off for other things. Dad had to put in some ductwork in his house to get his ground-source heat pump working properly, and I had to catch up on neglected stuff like housecleaning and rest. I focussed on the second one.

Today as I surveyed the interior of the new walls, plump with yellow fiberglass insulation, and mentally reviewed the tasks yet undone, I realized how different this project is from much of my activities. This project involves substance. Often my creations are only form, only words or musical phrases, passing things that take shape only for a moment in the mind of a reader or listener and then pass away again. I can work away at the shaping and polishing of these forms, and if I never present them to anyone, they simply cease to be.

But when I stop working on this building project, it still sits there, substantial, unfinished, real.

I like this.

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Speaking of the building, it's high time I posted some more pictures. Nudge me if I don't get some up soon.

5 comments:

Tim Hodgens said...

Laura,

Thank you - very much - for this post. Elegant!

Tim

arcolaura said...

You're welcome, Tim, and thank you!

Freddie L Sirmans, Sr. said...

This blog is very, very interesting.

arcolaura said...

Well, thanks, Freddie - I have to wonder sometimes if it's interesting at all, so thanks for letting me know.

Jim said...

nudge, nudge...
;~)