William & Susan Schran User on tue 25 oct 11
Been reading about young people not wanting to work.
Well, if you live at home and all is given to you, why would you want to
work?
My parents told me to get a GD job when I turned 16.
I worked nights/weekends as usher in movie theater.
This was back with flashlight and showed people to seats.
Got paid 75 cents per hour.
Moved on to do landscaping, asphalt paving, loading trucks for UPS,
hazardous materials (explosives) handler.
Even after I got hired to teach full-time at college, I would often work fo=
r
college facilities mowing grass during the summer.
Always enjoyed physical labor - could see what I accomplished at end of day=
.
Now I am in my 34th year of teaching, 40 + years working in clay.
Perhaps hardest, but most satisfying job of my life.
I'm always moving, doing - never sit on my butt.
Always something else to be done.
I have volunteer studio assistants now as I can't find time to do it all
anymore.
Back in August I began having discomfort in my shoulders.
Thoughts teaching, working in my studio and yard work were causing the pain=
.
Pain progressively got worse - knives digging into shoulders.
Read about statin drugs causing joint/muscle pain.
Stopped medication (with doctor ok), but no improvement.
Went to orthopedic doc, xrays showed no major issues.
Diagnosed with muscle impingement syndrome in both shoulders.
Also affecting nerves - severe pain in wrists/hands, loss of feeling in
fingers.
Pain so bad I was on narcotics.
Started physical therapy.
Severe pain finally gone after two months of PT.
Had only thrown on wheel for demos in classes - just barely able to do the
demos.
Yesterday threw a half dozen bowls - just had to do it.
Some pain, but tolerable.
Fall coming, need to get out in yard, lots of work to do.
Just went for it, worked all day Sunday.
So much to be done - and did most of it.
End of day felt great - no pain in shoulders/wrists.
So, I will continue PT, work in the yard and must work in studio.
I have a solo show in January!
Clay is hard work even when you're not hurting.
Step-by-step, each step demanding your undivided attention.
But at the end of the day you can see you have accomplished something.
It was worth all the hard work.
Bill
--
William "Bill" Schran
wschran@cox.net
wschran@nvcc.edu
http://www.creativecreekartisans.com
| |
|
