Hiding in my work
What is your favorite retreat from the world?
The forge. It's not much of a retreat, not in the sense of physically getting away from anything, but it is the one thing that relaxes me more than anything else. When I'm in the shop, working on a sword or a pistol, I can block out everything around me. I can stop thinking about my troubles and fears, just throw myself into my work and get lost in the shaping of metal and the roar of the fire.
It's hard, messy work, blacksmithing. The heat can become almost unbearable at times, and the force with which the steel must be hammered often leaves my entire body aching. But it's also good, honest work, and there's a sense of fulfillment in the completion of a piece that I've failed to find anywhere else. When I'm finished, or if I stop to take a break, the world comes rushing back, but until then, I can find a sort of refuge in the process. The amount of concentration needed to craft a fine weapon leaves little room for any other thought.
The results of my work give me great pride, but the work itself gives me even greater peace. I cannot imagine a more rewarding profession.
The forge. It's not much of a retreat, not in the sense of physically getting away from anything, but it is the one thing that relaxes me more than anything else. When I'm in the shop, working on a sword or a pistol, I can block out everything around me. I can stop thinking about my troubles and fears, just throw myself into my work and get lost in the shaping of metal and the roar of the fire.
It's hard, messy work, blacksmithing. The heat can become almost unbearable at times, and the force with which the steel must be hammered often leaves my entire body aching. But it's also good, honest work, and there's a sense of fulfillment in the completion of a piece that I've failed to find anywhere else. When I'm finished, or if I stop to take a break, the world comes rushing back, but until then, I can find a sort of refuge in the process. The amount of concentration needed to craft a fine weapon leaves little room for any other thought.
The results of my work give me great pride, but the work itself gives me even greater peace. I cannot imagine a more rewarding profession.