Somehow, although the result is only supposed to be a rag rug, I seem to be learning something far more important here. The only crochet I have done in my life was back in '74, when I learned enough to make a baby sweater for a friend. It was perfect, it really was—and it took me a month or more to learn enough (from a book, because there was no one to teach me) to make that simple sweater, and several more months to complete the job. Yes, it was nice. Flawless. And that's the first, and last, thing I made with crochet, until the rug.  Oh—maybe there's something else I've learned! I did learn from a book, back then, and there was no one to teach me. What would I have been able to do if I could have asked someone for help? How important is the teacher? How much does patience on their part count? And was I afraid to ask anyone to teach me because I feel so stupid when it comes to handicrafts. Because I don't want anyone to know how inept I am? Because I don't really want to admit that following patterns is rather beyond me at present? Because I'll need lots of time, and patience, on the part of a teacher? |
Connections: Body, Mind, Emotions
The rug experiment left me humble enough to try something else far, far from my comfort zone—actual physical exercise. I'm a 'slow learner' in the area of sports, with the exception of dancing, where the music and rhythm seem to propel me along. So practicing yoga five days a week was quite a change for me. It took experimentation to find a routine I could stick to and meet my goal: improvement without exhaustion. I found a yoga teacher to work with once a week, and tapes to use at home on other days. I also found books at our local library, and am continuing to progress. For me, yoga is perfect because you learn gradually, and build both strength and flexibility at whatever rate your body can manage. At the beginning of the VALTA course I would not have believed that adding to my activities could make me feel better. I even sleep better.