It’s Shirley J again! If you landed here, it’s because you want to know a little more about me.
This is the backdrop of my life.
I grew up during a time when the perception of who we are as slaves, negroes, sharecroppers, blacks, African-Americans, or people of color has and is constantly debated.
Me? I am a black woman hobbyist woodworker. Rooted in the rural south and the big city, I am a creation of the ever-changing, perplexing, and fragile dynamics of this country.
On the cusp of a new decade -a new epoch, even- more of us, men and women of the culture, are embracing and learning about ourselves and each other. We are each, all and only – different and the same. We are citizens, teachers, learners, lovers, haters, good and bad – just humans trying to master our lives.
As a woman for the culture, I’m challenged every day to believe that everything will fall into place.
Everything I’ve experienced factors into who I am today and influences who I’ll be tomorrow. Each day offers an opportunity to break through the wall of admitted despair, learned helplessness, and self-judgment.
Sometimes I break through alone; many times I need the help of others. When I am still and listen, the collective help of all my ancestors sounds loud and clear.
They are the ancient astronomers, scholars, writers, architects, carpenters, woodworkers, stone masons, city founders, doctors, scientists, poets, warriors, kings, queens, goddesses, and healers who have left their mark on every continent on this earth.
You and I are the heiresses to their legacy. We have already inherited the strength and confidence necessary to surmount any and all obstacles before us.
We know who we are.
❤️Say her name.
It is wrong and wasteful that the genius of black women has been woefully used. Our work is routinely unappreciated and under-estimated by society.
Harsh? Perhaps.
Remember, however, as a people we were and continue to be at the forefront of the march toward the industrial, technological and psychological transformation of this country. Our imprint is everywhere, in every one of the 50 united states!
And the work continues.
My woodworking blog is a record of the solutions to some of the problems, big and not so big, that I encounter in this wood shop. And maybe a few other places. There will be laughs and some tears.
I’ve experienced many things in my life. You already know I am a woodworker. I am also a seamstress, an accountant, and much more.
Learning life lessons can be rough. Believe me, each day is a lesson and I am a willing student.
I’m also here to honor, love, and define myself. My perspective, as a black woman hobbyist woodworker, is unique to me. It’s my story to tell. Be wary of imposters!
Keeping ignorance at bay.
I try to learn at least one new thing everyday. It doesn’t matter what I’m learning so much as why. I am unlocking information that was not disclosed in my early education. What I was taught about our contribution, as a people, to civilization was minuscule, compared to what I learned about the world culture at large.
I have to say, it was disheartening. Imagine a child sitting in a classroom in one of the biggest cities in the world being taught that you are and will be a slave, forever. That young brain silently screams, “you’re telling me…you’re saying, we haven’t done anything of value in this whole, wide, world?”
In response, our ancestral guides remind us we have the tools to challenge disorder within and beyond the culture. We had them long ago and we have them now. We have the intelligence and strength of mind to achieve actualization and freedom of mind.
We must keep heart and keep asking the questions. Today, in these modern times, we can unlock the mysteries of life, the environment, and the hidden history of the culture. There’s certainly an app for that!
A goal for myself is to clear up the cognitive dissonance caused by much of what I’ve learned.
It’s frightening to come to the realization that much of what I’ve learned turned out to be false, useless and harmful to my psyche and soul.
Now, I’m gaining the “real” knowledge and unlocking the truth that can be traced and linked to facts. And, I know there are many more women of the culture who are doing the same.
Importantly, I’m unlearning those harmful elements and beliefs that were disguised as a good education.
In this wondrous world of communicating and connecting in ways unheard of in the not so distant past, I always find what I need.
Finding answers to lifelong questions can be hard. Some land softly; some hit you between the eyes. Like a cool sip of water taken beneath a desert sun, any answer is appreciated just the same.
I plan to share with you, in my writing and woodworking, how I handle the difficulties and uncertainties that I’ve encountered in my life.
No matter the age, no matter the stage in life, no matter the path toward self discovery, I hope it gives you the courage to do what you’ve been dreaming.
I’ll certainly share the creative part of my life with you. On the surface, it looks like woodworking, it may look like art and it may look like something else.
I’m doing nothing that’s mysterious or esoteric. You will see how I think, how I go about the work, and you may get to see a project or two.
My wish is that our interaction, however brief or long, adds back to our lives and consciousness, in one form or other, what was lost along the way.
If you think beyond that, while spending time with me, maybe you will figure out what it means to you.
In a wondrous way, I am still figuring out what it means to me.
It’s never too late, but it’s time.
– Shirley J ♥️
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