Scratchpad

It's not that "i am an engineer" It's that "I am a talented child of God, gifted with many talents, among them being electromechanical design."

"Love truth more than you hate wrong"?

What do I really want out of life?

I want to life peacefully and lovingly. I want my actions to make sense and be in alignment and harmony. I want a loving family. I want to make recompense for sins and for time lost.

I want to make my parents and grandparents proud. I want my sister and community around me to thrive. I want all of creation to return to union with God and be healed. I want to open up. I want to taste all that God has to give me.

I want to inspire and empower others to participate actively in Creation.

What is important to me?

Time spent in God's Creation admiring it is important to me. Time spent in contemplation is important to me. Time spent working - thinking with my hands - is important to me. Being original is important to me. Solving problems is important to me. Listening to wisdom and story from elders is important to me. Doing things rather than being lazy is important to me.

Integration - seeing the whole picture and how my work benefits those around me - is important to me.

Respecting God's design is important to me. Truth, beauty, and goodness are important to me. Reverence in liturgy is important to me. Quality food and music are important to me.

Focus is important to me.

Having things - owning things - to offer people is important to me. Being useful towards others is important to me. Maybe it shouldn't but it is.

Being on a team where everyone has my back (and I have theirs) - LEGITIMATELY - is important to me.

What is the highest version of myself?

The highest version of myself... the ultimate growing out of this child of God... this steward of land and resources. The one who does to self. Who puts aside selfish tittilations in favor of doing the hard and difficult thing. Who is not afriad to speak truth or intervene. Who is blameless without reproach, and who can handle push-back. Who asks for help - and provides it in his turn.

What does my ideal day look like?

I wake up to a rooster crowing (or children romping). I get out of bed and head down to the kitchen to make breakfast. Well, it's more like supervising at this point. The kids know what they're doing. So I head out to get fresh eggs, and a few more logs for the russian counterflow woodstove. We pray lauds before breaking our fast.

Today, there's fences to be put up. I've already gone through and done the calculations - tested the ground, drawn up a blueprint of sorts, sourced all the material, prepped fasteners in their bins. 4 hours of work in the morning while the sun isn't too high - not too bad with my dad (or eldest son). New things were learned or transmitted today.

Then, lunch and sixth hour. Not too complicated of a lunch: bread, salad, soup. Maybe some hard-boiled eggs. Homemade kombucha to wash it down.

Back to the fence. We've got a good rhythm down at this point so we can direct our attention to other things: Creation around us, and chatter about anything - how the kids are, or the homily from Sunday.

We finish early. The neighbors came over and need something fixed on their tractor. I oblige - knowing last week they took care of the shingles that blew off the roof. I suppose this is why they're called "trades".

The work is good. It's exhausting, as it should be. But it's good - for the mind, body, and soul.

Dinner time. The wife has made something nice. Or I threw something on in the morning in the crock - it's done now. It's time to go in and share a meal and talk about the day - about what we did, or ideas that came to mind.

The kids want one last game of soccer while there's light out. When it goes down, we'll wash them up quick and read a chapter from a book. Then it's bedtime - vespers, and we're off.

What do I have to accomplish to get there?

I have to be open and honest with those around me, especially my family. I need to ask for help and advice. I have to wrestle with them and be willing to put my foot down and my ideas out.

I think I have to have a farm - a gentleman's farm. There's not much way around that. There might still be a "real job" part time but man... I crave the integration. Buying stuff doesn't cut it. I want to make and create. Full circle. Think with the hands. Plant the seeds.

Does that solve a problem in the world, and what product/service aligns with both?

This solves the problem of disconnection from Creation. Products and services that align with both would be:

A makerspace
A farm (pick-your-own or CSA-like)

And let's be honest I don't have the depth. Or want the depth. I like breadth. Depth for a time but breadth, mostly.

"How to run a successful for-profit makerspace"

Cut off the dead wood.

Manchester Makerspace is deadwood, really.
Machinae Ex Deo is deadwood.
Little Creators might be deadwood, or it needs to pivot.

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