Today’s prompt: Write about a memory that returns to you unexpectedly.
Memories tend to creep up on me when I’m working at the lathe. There must be something about the flow that I get myself into when things are working well, the chisels are sharp and the wood curls cleaning off the blank. My body starts to work on its own, leaving my mind free to wander.
Wander it does.
Most often, it’s interactions with other people that I feel embarrassed or unsure about. It could’ve been an awkward lunch with an old friend, a drunken mistake, or a contentious incident with a colleague. Whatever it is, there’s something unresolved about the interaction that I can’t figure out. I don’t like loose ends.
These memories can become a distraction, pulling me out of my flow, interrupting my work. I try to reason with myself, put the matter to rest as best I can, telling myself that it’s long since over and there’s nothing that can be done about it now. In all likelihood, it’ll never matter again, unless I can’t forget it.
I want to work on being present. Woodworking lends itself to a mindfulness practice. It requires attention, feel, perception, patience, planning, preparation, and perseverance. At the lathe, a minute moment of inattention can ruin a project. Hours of work can be undone by a single catch. Sometimes, nothing can prevent the mishap from occurring. You have to be involved, integrated even, with the process.
In all aspects of my life, I want to be mindful. Memories will continue to return to me unexpectedly but they needn’t take me away from where I am, where I’ve come to. Indeed, it’d be best if they could help propel me forward.
Find more writing prompts at Letters’ Lounge.
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