Re: Dabbling or Immersion?

I go for "immersion".

Whether it's whitewater canoeing, backpacking, motorcycles, archery,
sometimes my work, woodturning, etc.etc.etc. It just seems that whatever is
my interest is at this moment then it's my passion. Creates a depth of
appreciation for the "thing" that can't be achieved with a 'just visiting'
approach.

And, if I move on to other interests instead of staying with it all my life
(dabbling?), then that's fine because I've increased my experience base, my
store of memories, and my ability to bring those experiences to the next
"thing". This creates personal depth and might even develop wisdom.

It's a case of exploration in depth. Maybe achieving a level of 8 or 9 but
not spending your life in order to achieve a level of 10. General goal is to
be in the top 10% of anything. Beyond that the diminishing returns are
considered a poor investment of time, resources, energy.

Thank God not everyone feels this way. For the greatest advances have been
by the few who strive for the 10.1 level.

In the microcosm of woodturning specifically I intend to dabble and explore
bowl turning until a passion within that form starts. So, it's always dabble
with an open, adventurous mind; then immerse; dabble; then immerse; and so
on.

TomNie





"charlie b" <charlieb@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:43685412.228D@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> When I was a kid, growing up In the tropics, Mango Season was a marker
> of every year. We learned which Mango trees had the best mangoes and
> developed an eye for when they were at their ripening best. We also came
> up with ingenious methods for getting the particular mango we wanted off
> that tree and into our salivating mouths. We'd cut long bamboo poles,
> fashion a coat hanger "picker" and even adapted a butterfly net to our
> contraptions in order the capture our mango and get it to us unbruised
> by a fall.
>
> But the BEST mangoes couldn't be reached from the ground, at least not
> by a kid. Adults had devices that could probably do it, but we didn't
> have access to those devices (oh to have had a cherry picker back
> then). The alternative was to climb the tree and get the mango we
> wanted - from inside. And thus we learned many things - to distinguish
> between a branch that would support us and the ones that wouldn't
> (critical when you're 30 or more feet off the ground), which side of the
> tree the mangoes ripened first, where on the tree the best mangos could
> usually be found, etc.. We also found tree climbing, even when there
> were no mangoes on it, was fun all by itself.
>
> Woodworking is a very broad term, and like a Mango tree, has many
> branches (and roots). There are countless mangoes ultimately connecting
> back to the woodworking trunk. Following any given branch presents many
> forks in the path to a particular perfect mango. Some people follow one
> branch to that mango, never doubling back to see where another branch at
> the last fork might lead. Others want to explore ALL the main branches
> and perhaps go out two or three forks before encountering the place on
> the tree they're comfortable and satisfied with. They are content to
> just imagine what that ripe mango out on the end of that branch would
> taste like. Then there's the Curious George monkey, who wants to explore
> the WHOLE tree, and dies trying, never finding The Perfect Mango, but
> having touched, or tasted as many mangoes as possible.
>
> If you stand back from the woodworking tree and study it a bit before
> beginning to climb, you may be able to see the branch or even the mango
> you want to get to. But you might not be able to see, or could
> overlook, a branch or two or a few choice mangoes that would suit you
> better.
>
> So, after all that lead in, and to get back to the subject line, my
> question is:
>
> Do you think it's better to try many areas of woodworking and only then
> pursue a particular path
>
> or
>
> Would it be better to read about, and perhaps observe a lot of different
> types of woodworking and THEN select one or two to pursue seriously?
>
> Or
>
> Try them all and shoot for "adequate" in most of them?
>
> Personally, I like to try a bit (and then some) of everything and if one
> interests me, follow it 'til it requires more skill and/or abilities
> than I'm willing to put out - OR - some other shiny thing catches my
> eye.
>
> Is turning your choice mango, or one of the many you enjoy?
>
> Do you dabble in everything or immerse yourself totally in one area of
> woodworking?
>
> charlie b


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