On Craftsmanship

Intently watching the old guy behind the meat case trim and shape and wrap the two steaks, I could see there was tremendous power in the way he worked. I remember not being able to take my eyes off his hands, and being very excited about the whole thing.

The year was about 1970 and Souther’s Market was one of a dying breed. It was a true neighborhood market in the neighborhood where I grew up. On this particular occasion it was just my mom and me having dinner and it was summer. She gave me some money and instructions to ask for two steaks, and off I went on my bicycle. Souther’s was a couple miles away. I don’t remember what cut she said to get, but it was to be a special treat. Probably sirloins.

Although at the time being a kid of twelve or thirteen I didn’t quite grasp it, what I witnessed was a craftsman at work. It was knowledge, skill, experience, and it was effort and care all coming together. It was new to me, and it was a pivotal experience.

Through high school I became interested in the arts and learned a lot about craftsmanship. I learned about inquisitiveness, focus and commitment. I learned about hard work and risk. All of it came naturally to me, and soon the most important aspect of pursuing a high level of craft was the tremendous satisfaction that, even in failure, came with the work. Not to mention the excitement knowing it would all happen again with the next project. It is endless… anticipation with enthusiasm.

So now, forty years later (writing those previous three words and feeling old is happening with too great a frequency), I realize how important craftsmanship and the satisfactions that come with it are. We go out into the world and work. The demands are great and the rewards are all too often small. Working to a high standard is rewarding in and of itself no matter what is at hand. Doing good work, fine work especially is good for the soul. There is joy in it.

Gordon Bunker