Page 670 - Total War on PTSD

I have learned to just try and be better today than I was yesterday. Woodworking allows me to quantify that in a way.
Throughout the course of my time as a woodworker I have had the chance to work with one of a kind pieces of wood. But nothing would ever prepare me for this project. I was contracted by a luxury home builder to create a fireplace mantle out of a piece of petrified wood recovered from the Cape Fear River. Being that the organic material in the wood had been replaced by inorganic material, is was no longer truly wood. It was a dense concentration of minerals and rock fragments. In order to cut it down to the correct dimensions I had to contract a local water jet operator that operated at 60,000 psi. Once the piece or petrified wood was cut the water jet left imperfections in the surface that needed to be corrected. During the polishing process I was watching sparks shoot out from the mantle. I washed down the surface to reveal that there were streaks of metal tracking through the center of the petrified wood. I guess the only thing I really regret about this project is that the customer was satisfied but I was not. When I envision a final project, I see something free of flaws and smooth. They were happy with the slightly rough edges left over from the water jet tracks. They enjoyed the rough appearance that was left behind and felt it enhanced the overall look they were going for. At the end of the day I had to be happy that the customer was happy. In fact, the exact words were “exceeded expectations.”
Another project that meant a lot to me...I connected with a local Veteran who received a 1970 VW bus from his wife as a retirement present. This is a vehicle they use not only to drive around town, but also to go camping in. He had come to me looking to take this
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