Man made vs the naural

My wish as always is that you will have a happy Monday

Recently I had the opportunity to spend time in a leading furniture store showroom. On display were the best that was on offer in the surrounding areas which so happened to comprise several cities. The furniture on offer catered to  from the modest in taste to those who could afford luxury.

I personally have no appreciation for what was deemed the finer qualities in furniture and that is why in my mind I thought the whole collection was hideous. I did not express my true thoughts but rather as was expected commented on the beauty and the promises of hedonism that the furniture on display offered.

The reality is that the furniture in the showrooms were for the most part made from man made material and there will not come the day when any piece of furniture in the showroom will weather the years and be regarded by third and fourth generation of children as antique. Rather the furniture were designed to come apart during transportation (the manufacturers already know there will be much bruising and bumping during the process of house changing). Also the furniture are designed and manufactured to ensure that the manufacturer and the furniture store never run out of business.

I so happen to have spent time in the forests and experienced first hand the woodcutters felling trees then cutting the trunk into board. I have spent time with skilled artisan as the rough board is turned on lathe, cut, turned, sawed, sanded etc. and out of these boards produce quality and exquisite furniture. One of the great things is just having the privilege of watching a skilled carver delicately and gently carve exquisite patterns on these furniture and to have the knowledge that these furniture are made from solid wood and will outlast many generations.

The interesting thing is this, that we have been exposed to man made material for so long and have been exposed only to furniture made from man made material that we are subtly lured into believing that there are no other option or alternatives. Oh, yes we have man made wood and man made metal. We are forced to go this way because we are not given options.

Some how we are being lured into not aspiring for the things that are excellent and are lasting. Through the use of mass media we are led to believe what those who stand to gain the most tell us. These persons know very well that if the truth is suppressed and the lie propagated, in time they will switch places.  In a similar way we are being told that historical fact are not true and we should now accept the present rationale.

I am at a disadvantage because I have not yet been exposed to the process by which man made material are manufactured. There are machines that are used in the process. There is one thing that I do know and it is that man made materials cannot withstand the pressure that what is grown and matured naturally can.

It is awe inspiring to  look at a piece of exquisite and beautifully carved furniture and  it is sometimes hard to adjust the mind to the fact that it began as a tree out in the woods. The skills of the craftsmen, artisan and carvers bring out what could otherwise remain just a tree in the woods.

Sometimes we forget that there is great possibilities in our lives but just like how the tree out in the forest cannot make itself into exquisite furniture no more can we by our selves bring out the true potential in our own lives and being. The thing is, however, there are so many persons with potential but they are averse to going through the required process to bring out the best in them and they refuse to acknowledge that they need outside help in achieving their maximum potential.

In the mean time I continue to admire those persons who embrace religion and are discovering the secret to tapping into the higher powers.