Two days ago the first of the Bloodroot (Sangiunaria canadensis) poked their buds through the dead leaves next to the shop yet today it is 40 degrees with windblown rain.
I like that our namesake is something living, unobtrusive and elegant. For me seeing this come up each spring is a marvel. It is something you see only if you have the eyes to see it. It is so short lived in its showy form that you must be eagerly awaiting it or it will be missed altogether. Since we started Bloodroot Blades seeing this flower always makes me feel like it's a new year, that introspection is in order, and new prospects are in the wings.
I am no longer a professional student walking the long path towards a faculty career like I have been for almost a decade. I honestly thank God for it! Having stepped off that path last year has had its bittersweet moments. A few weeks ago I could have met with one of David and my heros and favorite author, Wendell Berry, near his home in Kentucky. It was with a group of people I have been long connected with and greatly respect, but I now do not qualify as one of them and could not participate. I am no longer a future colleague to those who long thought I was, but instead I am one who "left the path"- a statistic for department heads.
However, instead of studying sustainability I am now more than ever living it and being challenged by it. How is living and working with intentionality less of an educational process than pedagogy? It is an interesting practice to desire and choose ways of doing business that support our principles, yet feel the pull and need to make a living and run a business with accumen and intelligence. In the day to day work and intesive time spent on email, phone, and with customers there is little opportunity for introspection. I am happy that David and I had some time to establish ourselves with one another and build a foundation that could handle the pressures of a 19+ month waiting list. We love building knives and working with people of many walks of life. We love working together, we love our families, and we love doing life other than work. We have both chosen this life, this opportunity, and are here, God willing, to stay.
Thank you all for making this a possiblity.
All the best,
~Luke