Oh, give me land, lots of land under starry skies above,
Don't fence me in.
Let me ride through the wide open country that I love,
Don't fence me in.
Let me be by myself in the evenin' breeze,
And listen to the murmur of the cottonwood trees,
Send me off forever but I ask you please,
Don't fence me in.
Just turn me loose, let me straddle my old saddle
Underneath the western skies.
On my Cayuse, let me wander over yonder
Till I see the mountains rise.
I want to ride to the ridge where the west commences
And gaze at the moon till I lose my senses
And I can't look at hovels and I can't stand fences
Don't fence me in.
-- Cole Porter (as performed by David Byrne)
With my traditional Japanese hand saw, a speed square and a framing level, I picked up lumber and built a new gate for my building's front yard area one afternoon. I did it in part to save money, in part because it's meditative, in part because I'm stubborn. It wasn't wildly difficult, but some in my building seemed more than shocked that I had the audacity to offer I could do it for us. Without the privilege of not having to think so, I wondered if they doubted me more because I am an Asian-American woman as much as it is because I am a woman.
I wanted to tell them (as I often tell my son) that Asian peoples have a long, rich history of making things by hand, including woodworking, ceramics, and fiber arts. In Japan, entire tea houses are still built using true joinery without any machinery, nails or glue. In the country of my birth, the metalsmith forges nails with his hands and carries them next door to the furniture maker who makes chairs and tables with hand tools made by that metalsmith.
I wish I didn't feel so sad when people think so little of me. I want to be one of those people with thick skin who can shrug off the little things that make me wound so easily.
Plink, plink, plink...right off her steely grey armor and into the pink plastic elephant watering can she uses to water her weeds.
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6 comments:
I think you are awesome for building that fence. Maybe you did it just to prove to yourself that you could? Sometimes I, too, wish I had thick skin. But then I remember that it's the vulnerable part of me that has such a small threshold for pain that also allows me to feel the deepest most overwhelming joy and love. And I choose the weak over the strong...
I like that wise and honest perspective, thank you.
it does suck, but we get it all the time. especially my sister, since she's the handier one. so fuck 'em. rock on little lady, rock on.
lol I like C's answer better than mine.
i saw the gate. i used the gate. i think the gate looked and functioned as if it were "professionally built" (by 'professional' i meant that you pay someone else to do it). the look and use of the gate is your best revenge. you may not be able to let others' doubt roll off you but you can tell them to look and try the gate, then roll up their doubt and smoke it!
thanks c / a.t.!
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