The Angry Dyslexic Versus the Nuns
The Angry Dyslexic Versus The Nuns
by Philip Morley
In answer to an earlier question. . .  At the time, dyslexia was not well recognized in England and there were no alternate forms of instructions available that my family had access to. As I grew older, the gap between the other students and myself also grew. . . . .a fact other kids did not fail to notice. By the time I was about 11 years old, I had become a considerable disciplinary problem. I constantly got into fights. I think that I was essentially a good kid. But I grew up in a rough part of London and my struggles presented an obvious target. Saving what little face I could meant not backing down. Finally, I was expelled from school. This turned out to be the best possible decision for me.
I was moved to a Catholic school that specialized in students with behavioral issues and a wide range of learning differences.  The decision was not made lightly. My commute was about an hour and a half each way. Academics were pretty much out the window. These nuns were just trying to get me back on track and help me avoid getting into more serious trouble. Fortunately, the school was filled with many compassionate teachers who were on a mission of their own. The mission of the school was to help students with a wide variety of learning differences to regain self-esteem, confidence and to help them develop their own skills and gifts. For me. . . . it worked miraculously!
I discovered wood shop. My teacher, Mr. Richards noticed that I was naturally good at woodshop and I was keen to learn more. He encouraged me on various projects beyond the basic class lessons. For the first time, a teacher began to speak to me about my prospects for the future. I didn't know that I had a future! My focus had been mentally surviving from one moment to the next. But after several years of encouragement, I began thinking about college and considering a trade.
Still, the biggest blessing of this school was that I learned to discover my strengths as a person. . . not just my gifts. I learned that there are many different people in the world who face a wide range of challenges. . . .  many of those challenges were far greater than my own. I also learned to find the gifts within others as well as myself. I learned how to be more compassionate and patient when interacting with those whose challenges differed from my own. I became a mentor to those who struggled more than I did and found that I had the ability to help others. To my continuous surprise, I found that the students facing the greatest struggles often had the greatest degree of optimism, grace, and joy in the face of those challenges. I am always amazed by the same truths found in nature. Wood that has experienced some trauma in the course of its life often turns out to be the most interesting. This growth did not take place instantly. I had many more obstacles to overcome.
Educating the Fool
Educating the Fool
by Philip Morley
Because, as we all have been told, mistakes teach us. But if mistakes make such great teachers, why do we dread them so much? I suspect it is because mistakes do not always seem like the kind encouraging teachers that the statement implies but rather harsh teachers that rely primarily on shaming to get their message across. :)
Below is just one example. :) I was about seventeen when I made this. Although I didn't know it at the time, this piece taught me a big lesson in wood movement among other things. :) For some, this probably sticks out to you straight away. But if not, take a look at the door panel. There is a huge gap between the panel and the frame. I assure you that was not by design and was not there when the piece was originally built. This piece taught me in a way that I will always remember, that I need to be conscious of wood movement and make sure not to build with wet wood!
Benjamin Franklin wrote, "Experience is a dear teacher but fools will learn from no other." Yep! I theoretically knew about wood movement, but this piece REALLY convinced me. Beyond wood movement, I think that I also learned to pay more attention to what my mentors said. Surprisingly enough, when I was younger I was sure that I knew better.. . . Okay sometimes, I still do. :) Having never had a problem with wood movement, I assumed I never would.:) Of course, while mistakes are inevitable, some (many even many) can avoided by simply listening to the advice of those who have been there before. More on mentors later. :)
The other benefit of mistakes is that you learn how to fix them. Yes, some mistakes are WAY too big to fix. There have been several heartbreaking pieces that ended up feeding a fire. There is fine line between deciding when to throw in the towel or try to move forward. Most of the time, however, the mistake can be fixed. The cool thing about furniture making is that in fixing in the mistakes, you learn new techniques and brainstorm new ideas that can applied in ANY situation not just trying to correct a problem. Sometimes, you have to go back a step or two but you learn from it and move on. In this pursuit of perfection mistakes are inevitable. I have learned you can either allow the mistakes to stop you cold or understand that mistakes will be made and you will learn from them. A friend once told me that if you feel totally comfortable in your profession then you are probably doing the wrong thing. As I take risks, make mistakes, and try to move forward, I take comfort in this conclusion. I may be really uncomfortable at times as a furniture maker, but I am definitely in the right profession. :P
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