Here we are again. It is gone midnight and I am in my pyjamas packing up a box of goodies to send out to the US. Every time I do this I swear never again, so why the sense of deja vu?
These beauties are for a swap. I send ten items to a hostess, and so do nine other people, and lo and behold, I eventually receive a box filled with goodies, one from every contributor. It's so simple, and yet, such an immense pain in the arse that each and every time I participate I find myself wondering why.
I'll tell you why.
I'm actually quite proud of my contribution this time. I get a sense of achievement from making something new (I always make sure that I do something new - I like the challenge) and I get a warm fuzzy feeling from knowing that I'm spreading the love. It's that baraka thing again. I also learn a lot. Like how far my stubbornness to complete a task outweighs my need for food or sleep, how hard I have to wrench to free my arm from its socket (just a tad harder than I did wrench to get stubborn soap from its mould), and I learn new skills and techniques for improving my craft. That, afterall, is the main goal of the exercise.
I am always blown away by the items I receive. They range widely in skill of execution, but they are always somebody's best effort. And so I always give them my best effort. This time it is herbal eye masks made from vintage Japanese kimono silk and filled with organic, tea-grade herbs. I'm rather proud of them, now that I have got the feeling back in my sewing hand. I may even make them again. But not tonight. It is pushing 1am and I can barely keep my eyes open. Perhaps I should have made an extra one for myself.
