Category: Slice of Life

I have a tendency to focus too much on the future. Or the past.

Let’s think about what I could have done better with this situation, or that one, or…

What if this happens in the future? What if THIS? Oh my….

It’s a human crime, to keep preparing for the unknown and to keep pining for what’s behind us.

I have only been able to really, really dive into the present through my pottery class.

In each class, I made sure I kept my hands focused on the clay, to keep it centered; if I let my mind wander, then the clay went out-of-whack. And there went the pottery idea I had.

I was in a small class with jovial classmates for eight weeks. I didn’t ask for much help from the instructor; I just sat there at my pottery wheel, mesmerized by the clay forming in my hands, wondering what the finished product would look like.

Trimming away the pieces, trying to “perfect” the final form before it goes into the kiln for the first round of firing…this whole process also taught me that imperfections are normal. Nobody/nothing is or can be perfect. My pieces came out as bowls with dips in the rim, uneven bottoms, etc. But I wanted them that way. I wanted them to be imperfectly beautiful.

And when I held my first completed piece of pottery in my hands, glazed and everything: a huge sense of awe and pride. This piece of art was created by me. Nobody can take that away from me.

Image by Victor Svensson via Flickr

I can’t help but mention about my iPhone 4–mainly because this is the first time in awhile I’ve given into the technology craze around here. For me, I only get hyped up about certain products/electronics if those closest to me are overzealous about the products. Then, once I purchase it, I keep it forever–I’m one of those people who keep it simple and just stick with the product as is, not giving into the yearly updates/upgrades/etc.

The last time I remember “giving in” to an electronic craze? Back in late 2004/early 2005, I went to Japan for the first time, and one of my good friends kept talking about the new Panasonic Lumix FX7. I now forget why exactly the camera was so innovative at that point, but I went ahead and plunked down the money for the newest camera. I brought it back to the States and my friends were in awe over the sleek, slim design of the camera (back then, remember, US digital cameras were still bulky and similar to 35mm cameras).

Ah, but the years have passed, and the cameras in the US are now just as slim and compact as what the Lumix FX7 was in Japan 5-6 years ago. But, I still have my trusty little camera with me because it’s lasted all these years, and I figure, why buy a new one if this one still works perfectly well?

So this brings me to the whole iPhone 4 schpiel at the beginning: oh, even though I’m one of the early adopters (one of many here in the Bay Area, sigh), I feel I’ll probably still stick with the iPhone 4 even when Apple rolls out iPhone 5, 6, etc. in the next few years. Who knows. Technology continues to slide on quickly and consumers continue to grab at each new technological advance, so of course companies will continue to work hard on getting new products out.

But I’ll still stick with my trusty electronics until they completely die out on me. We’ll see what the future holds for this new gadget.