By Made Things
We join ourselves to the living world
by artifacts of art and science—
by made things.
We are always going to be
somewhat at fault,
because we are ignorant,
fallible,
and small.
The living world
is larger and more complex
than our works.
The extremes
of reality and of imagination,
within the limits of human experience
are never pure.
Both imagination
and a competent sense of reality
are necessary to our life
and they necessarily
discipline one another.
—excerpt, Life Is A Miracle
By Wendell Berry
I copied this passage from Wendell Berry’s book many years ago. I’ve reviewed it many times since. His words seem as if they could be biographical, the story of my life, my attempt and struggle to find a niche for myself in the world, by my work, the made things. One work of long effort of years, a dedication which still continues is the company which I conceived and developed along with the essential contribution of others. We are social by nature and crave the support, the durability of being linked with others in a common cause. The company has been both a means to the end of paying-the-bills, and an artwork of sorts, providing occasions for fellowship, the enjoyment of good food, and good music with others. This all adds up to “a life.” I have no doubt that a company is a “made thing,” something joining us to the living world by the effort of imagination, and by the effort of taking measure, to determine what will work.
