There are memories from my childhood that have faded with time, but some are as fresh as cut flowers. One such memory is of my great-grandmother working in her tiny kitchen. During the summer, she canned fresh vegetables she had picked that morning from her garden. The lines of Mason Jars filled with squash, tomatoes, peppers and pickles looked rainbows on her pantry shelves.
She was meticulous in her approach to her work. When I asked her where she learned how to can food, she said, “There’s an art to it that I learned from my mother.”
Another memory is of my grandpa working in his blacksmith shop behind his house in Sloss Hollow. The ping, ping, ping of his hammer against the hot metal of horseshoes sounded like a broken bell. Again, when I asked how he learned to be a blacksmith, he said he learned it from an old friend.
A few years ago, we decided to restore some old chairs that we inherited from Jilda’s family. They were cane-bottom chairs, with bottoms long past their expiration date. We asked friends where we could have our antique chairs repaired. A friend told us about an older gentleman who lived on a back road between Morris and Pinson.
Loading the chairs in my truck, I wound my way to his house on two-lane roads. He greeted me in his front yard. We agreed on a price, and I left the chairs in his care. A few days later he called to say the chairs were ready. When I arrived, he had them sitting out next to his driveway. They looked as good as new except they now had a story behind them. His workmanship was amazing. We stood in the warm morning sun and talked for a while about the art of caning.
When these craftsmen are gone, we will have lost something valuable.
I always thought there was a need for a folk school that taught these skills. A school that helped to keep folk art alive. Several years ago, I heard about the Alabama Folk School at Camp McDowell. But a busy schedule kept me from pursuing the things they had to offer.
This past weekend, Jilda and I had an opportunity to attend the Alabama Folk School Songwriting Workshop. When we researched the presenters, we realized they were the “real thing.” Tom Kimmel and Sally Barris both are successful songwriters. They write the kind of songs we strive to write.
The rustic lodge where we stayed stood on the edge of a hollow overlooking a small creek. There were groups attending workshops on water conservation and blacksmithing, but these groups were in other lodges around the property.
Settling in, we found the area peaceful. Carrying our bags, I heard the soothing sound of an acoustic guitar somewhere in the distance. I knew we would have a good experience here.
One young woman looked around at the circle of songwriters and said, “This place feels like home.” She was not just talking about the buildings, but the people and the things we were learning. We all nodded in agreement.
Learning new things can be life changing. The Alabama Folk School is a good place to start. Check out the calendar of upcoming events. You may learn something new that will help keep folk art alive. www.alfolkschool.com
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Rick Watson is a columnist and author. His latest book Life Changes is available on Amazon.com. You can contact him via email at rick@rickwatson-writer.com
