I wonder if I should be writing this,I'm sure the powers that be will remove it if the answer is no.
I have had a fantastic year making pens and the chance to talk to fellow pen turners who have gone through what I've been through and it's made think of how many wood turners / pen turners started for the same reason as me. Through these conversations in the last 2 months there is at least another 3 as I now know of.
It all began a good many years ago when I suffered from a nervous breakdown followed by a good many years going down the dark hole of depression. To cut the story short I decided I had to get a grip of myself before it took hold of my life. I wouldn't go out I could not meet people. I took up wood turning, pens in the main and gradually had many pens I didn't no what to do with. I could not sell them because I didn't know how and besides I had lost my confidence and this is how this forum came to my rescue. I put a message out could anyone give me advice for selling pens at a craft fair. I received a lot of advice but one member invited me to go with him to a large fair, I didn't know him, I had a panic attack the demand told me to say no but my dear wife pushed me to say yes if I intended to get better. I accept the invitation. That member of this forum never new what was happening to me, I couldn't tell him. At the end of day I sat in my car and cried not with sadness but with joy that I had taken that step. Only after 3 year I contacting him and told him unknown to him he at helped with my recovery although I still have dark days I am winning because of the wood turning I took up. Since I have been honest telling fellow wood turners this story they have told me their stories of how wood turning helped them in difficult times.
I WONDER how many more have a story to tell. Thank you. You never know when your helping someone.
Glen
I have had a fantastic year making pens and the chance to talk to fellow pen turners who have gone through what I've been through and it's made think of how many wood turners / pen turners started for the same reason as me. Through these conversations in the last 2 months there is at least another 3 as I now know of.
It all began a good many years ago when I suffered from a nervous breakdown followed by a good many years going down the dark hole of depression. To cut the story short I decided I had to get a grip of myself before it took hold of my life. I wouldn't go out I could not meet people. I took up wood turning, pens in the main and gradually had many pens I didn't no what to do with. I could not sell them because I didn't know how and besides I had lost my confidence and this is how this forum came to my rescue. I put a message out could anyone give me advice for selling pens at a craft fair. I received a lot of advice but one member invited me to go with him to a large fair, I didn't know him, I had a panic attack the demand told me to say no but my dear wife pushed me to say yes if I intended to get better. I accept the invitation. That member of this forum never new what was happening to me, I couldn't tell him. At the end of day I sat in my car and cried not with sadness but with joy that I had taken that step. Only after 3 year I contacting him and told him unknown to him he at helped with my recovery although I still have dark days I am winning because of the wood turning I took up. Since I have been honest telling fellow wood turners this story they have told me their stories of how wood turning helped them in difficult times.
I WONDER how many more have a story to tell. Thank you. You never know when your helping someone.
Glen
