Rick Smith/Columnist
About 25 years ago, I eased up to a traffic light on the northside of Houston. Two young men, probably in their early to mid-twenties, were standing to my left on the median strip. Their clothes were stained with sweat and dirt, hair greasy, fingernails encrusted with dirt. I seriously doubt either one had seen a bar of soap in a month of Sundays. They were selling newspapers, and they were all smiles.
To this day, the short conversation between these two men is imprinted on my brain. Like it happened yesterday.
The taller of the two said, “Now, the first thing you’ve got to do is find you a big ol’ rock.”
A column of newspapers was neatly stacked on the ground before him. A large stone, about the size of a softball, sat on top of the newspapers.
Pointing to the stack, the young man continued, “You don’t want your newspapers flying all over the place. You gotta get you a big rock.”
Later that evening, I sat comfortably slouched in my recliner working the crossword puzzle from the newspaper I purchased from the young man who knew to put a big rock on his stack of newspapers.
Last week I heard a young man named Ravi interviewing Mike, an accomplished calligrapher. Mike had reached an impressive level of mastery. He displayed some of his personal tools of the trade – handmade calligraphy penholders, nibs (the portion of the pen that comes into contact with the paper), inks, and paper.
Within minutes, it became obvious that calligraphy is much more than the sum total of its parts. Not only does the craft require specific tools, but there are also fundamental principles to follow. For example, there are vital steps for prepping the nib, steps best not minimized. Mike explained that the angles needed for ornamental calligraphy determine the flexibility of the nib.
Mike talked about the ink and the paper.
The ink used in calligraphy comes from the husk surrounding the nut of the black walnut. Crystals are made from walnut husks that can be mixed with water to create ink. The ratio of walnut crystals to water determines the viscosity and amount of light that will pass through the ink.
Special paper is required. The paper needs to have a smoother surface, more substantial weight, and of a constant texture to ensure cleaner lines.
There’s a correct way to sit when practicing calligraphy. Slouching lazily in calligraphy school is not tolerated! You might get by with that in High School Civics, but not in this penmanship class.
As I was listening to Mike, I thought back to the conversation between the two young men standing at the busy intersection in Houston, hawking their newspapers. The seasoned “businessman” was instructing his inexperienced “protégée” on the art of selling newspapers. And then it hit me.
No matter the job, no matter how menial you might think it is, there are certain nuts and bolts that need to be applied to get the job done. And, of course, there are always the right tools for the job.
Rick Smith is a Jeffersonian and can be reached at theriquemeister@gmail.com.