Through These Eyes: The courageous struggle to find meaning in a life stressed with cancerIsaacson, Lauren Ann
Science
Through These Eyes: The courageous struggle to find meaning in a life stressed with cancer
Isaacson, Lauren Ann
Cancer -- Patients -- Biography; Isaacson, Lauren Ann, 1961-1986
In addition to the basics, I was able to take a course in woodworking.
Happily, I was not the only girl to have fostered such a "sexually
uncharacteristic" whim, and the two of us felt less ridiculous seated
among our masculine counterparts, knowing our endeavor was not entirely
foreign to the minds of other females. My apprehension was unfounded,
I discovered, for in time I saw that my work exceeded that of many of
my classmates; I was more particular, concerned with the appearance of
the finished product and willing to direct effort toward the perfect,
rather than haphazard, completion of a project. Moreover, I had a
natural love of wood and wished to acquire certain skills therewith,
reasoning that one day I would rebuild or at least refinish antique
pieces for my own home. I was no advocate of women's liberation;
I simply found interest in many activities and subjects. I had to
prove nothing to anyone but myself.
After finishing a class project to my satisfaction, I began earnestly
on a project of my own design. That which I determined to make was a
cedar chest, and looked on excitedly as the instructor pulled a stack
of cedar boards from the storage closet and placed them on one of the
work tables. The first course of action, he said, was to glue the
smaller boards together, after which the uneven width would be
surgically altered in the planer. I noticed several imperfections
(worm-eaten tunnels) in certain boards, but the teacher was unmoved.
"Those can be filled with wood filler," he replied, walking off. I
gazed after him doubtfully wondering how I could trust a man who, in
one hour, had to coach his 25 students through their 25 different
projects. Nevertheless, I started my work, trying to envision a lidded
box in the stack of wood which had probably been intended for a bonfire.
Meanwhile, other school-related activities gathered momentum as the
academic year drew ever closer to its end. As one of the art editors
for the yearbook, I was instructed to design several covers for
possible use. My effort resulted in developing four options ranging,
in my opinion, from "nearly philosophical" to "cute"; I placed my
endeavors on the desk of the teacher whose spare time was choked with
yearbook duties. My designs would not necessarily appear on the
yearbook cover, but I was satisfied that I had succeeded in creating
original ideas.
Mar. 31, 1977... We had a band concert in the aud. and during the middle,
Mr. C. got up and read off the nominee for HALL OF FAME and I was one of
'em! (A friend of mine) wasn't tho, and she didn't even congratulate me.
April 20, 1977... I was nominated for American Legion! I didn't really
know 'til homeroom, when we were to vote on it!! (I voted for me!!)
There were 5 boys and 5 girls altogether.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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