Ryan's Field Notes #30 - The Old Tool Box
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Howdy gang, hope your day is going well.
Sitting this morning, the steam from the coffee rising up bringing the aroma of the morning drink to me, I looked out the window as the sun started it's journey up through the clouds for the day.
The coffee warming the body and the beautiful light of the day warming the mind.
My thoughts danced from one concern of the day to the next, never fully settling on a solution to any.
I considered today's newsletter, of what should I write...normally I have it wrote a day before or at least the topic.
Not sure why this time I was behind, I didn't feel worried though. I then realized that I already had it.
Most of what I write about and show of my photography is the outdoor world. Nature and outdoor activities.
These topics are near and dear to me and are an easy go to as every one seems to enjoy them.
Today though my thoughts went to a personal project I did this week in my studio/shop.
This last summer I acquired an old tool box, not just any old tool box though.
It was a tool box that had been used, had been abused and held an assortment of old and forgotten tools.
How old was this box? I don't know, at the earliest possible I would think at least 50 years old, but I am thinking it was much older.
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After I acquired this old box I brought it home, in wonder I opened it and began to slowly and reverently sort through the assortment of tools located within.
As I picked up each tool out of this odd assortment I pondered, though time and elements hadn't been kind you could tell these were used but not abused tools.
The hands that had held them had used them well. What projects had they been a part of? I will never know.
I considered as the assortment of sockets, wrenches, pliers, a hammer and other tools that I didn't know what they were used for were unloaded.
This box was the go to box of a man, a husband, a worker who didn't need a specialty set of tools but who worked on and fixed any number of things.
A man who had to make things work with what he had, and wasn't a stranger to hard work at all.
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These tools, well made, deserved to find new purpose.
Sitting forgotten in some old shed or under a board behind and outbuilding wasn't where they needed to be.
As I cleaned them off and began to add them to my assortment of tools I realized that they needed even more than that.
They story of their past, even if I didn't know the details, could be told in a photograph.
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I pulled out my lights, and set up my studio.
They were going to tell an epic story.
A story of hard work, of a worker at the end of his day coming home and repairing the fence before he went in to supper.
The story of a family that had need of nothing because these tools were used by a dad who cared and made sure they had a roof over their head and food on their table.
These were the stories the tools told me as I held them in my hands and inspected each and every one.
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Go out and enjoy your day.
Find something to smile about.
Help somebody else find their something to smile about.
Thanks for taking the time out of your day to spend a little time with me.
I appreciate it.
You can always send me an email or call me if you just want to chat or want to discuss any projects you may have that I can help you complete.
Until next time.
Ryan McGehee
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