These three pieces of art are a gift from Native artist James Shorty.
I got them because one day a friend dropped by asking if I had time for a beer.
I was up to my Buddha eyebrows in work. I said, “No.”
As he walked away I thought, “What kind of person are you if you have not time to have a beer with a friend?”
I went downstairs. We sat on the front porch. The summer sun was at its most luxuriant.
I saw a native man go by. He was carrying a heavy satchel which he parked for a moment on the corner of my neighbour’s fence.
I said, “You look like you could use a glass of water.”
He said, “I could.”
I said, “Go into the kitchen and get one.”
He joined us swiftly switching from water to beer.
Turned out he was from way up north which means the summer heat was really getting to him. The moment he stopped he’d been ready to drop.
It also turned out he was an artist and a carver touring the world.
When he found himself welcome here he decided to stay for a while.
That while lasted around three months.
If I had not taken the time to have a beer with a friend that moment would have passed me by.
I would never have known what I missed.
Good thing I had that beer (and several others) that day.
Something better than work got done.
–Reg Hartt
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