| There really is a basis for the old saying, "Too | | | | to the overloading of our schedules with way too |
| many irons in the fire". As a blacksmith I've | | | | much stuff to be able to finish in the first place. |
| experienced the results of not listening to this | | | | We start out our days with "aspirations of |
| warning, "up close & personal". | | | | grandeur", sure we can accomplish super human |
| When I help out at the local History Center during | | | | tasks, like that Japanese guy on "Heroes" who |
| "Farm Days" , they bring school buses full of | | | | can bend time. If we just keep moving, ... we'll get |
| eager faces to our forge. These days most kids | | | | it all done! (The accident division of the insurance |
| don't have any idea what a blacksmith does, so I | | | | industry, could probably give you some good |
| usually explain the concept like this. "When it's hot, | | | | statistics about this approach.) |
| you can do everything with iron that you can do | | | | I have a friend who is constantly on the move, ... |
| with clay, ... except touch it." | | | | physically and mentally. After spending the day |
| In the "olde days", before blacksmiths had | | | | with her (and based on the exhaustion I |
| thermometers, they found that the color of the | | | | experienced trying to keep up), I was surprised at |
| iron changes with the temperature. It starts out | | | | the end of the day how much of her original "to |
| with "black" heat (about 800 degrees F, and | | | | do" list ... wasn't done. She had however, managed |
| plenty hot enough to burn yourself on), and | | | | to break 2 glasses, forget about the laundry in |
| progresses through the color spectrum of | | | | the washer, and add 5 or 6 other things to her |
| blue-purple-red-orange-yellow & tops out at | | | | ever growing list. |
| "white" welding heat (+2000 degrees F, just | | | | She was full of energy and good intentions in the |
| before it burns up). At the right temperature, | | | | morning, but somewhere in there she lost track |
| metal becomes very pliable (about 1,300 degrees | | | | of her "line of sight". The detours and delays, |
| F, orange-yellow). | | | | created frustration to her already overloaded |
| When you're working on metal (iron/steel) in a | | | | system. (As well as the cut on her finger, from |
| forge, basically, you put the cold metal rods into | | | | using a kitchen knife as a screwdriver.) After |
| the forge fire, and wait for them to heat up to a | | | | watching her struggle, I was reminded of this |
| pliable temperature. Then, ..."strike while the iron is | | | | ancient forging phrase. |
| hot." (Another tried-and-true blacksmithing | | | | In blacksmithing terms, it's the equivalent of |
| proverb.) | | | | starting out in the morning to make some |
| If you try to work the metal at a lower | | | | horseshoes. You find you have to stop to make a |
| temperature, you end up having to pound twice | | | | punch, try to remember to order more coal, have |
| as hard, to get half as much work done. On the | | | | several farmers drop by to pick up the tools you |
| other hand, if you let the metal get too hot, ... it | | | | were fixing for them (with appropriate chitchat), ... |
| will simply melt and/or disintegrate. | | | | and finishing your day with about half of your iron |
| The phrase above, refers to the problem of | | | | ruined (still having a shoeless equine). |
| putting too many rods into a fire, so that you | | | | If you overload your schedule, even if it's based |
| can't keep track of what stage of heating each | | | | on necessity, you will find that you don't really |
| piece is at. You can only work so many pieces, | | | | accomplish your purpose. You must base your |
| before you start burning some up and wasting | | | | day on workable goals, and build in some flexibility |
| your resources. There is always an optimum | | | | for when the world decides to interfere with your |
| amount of work that you can handle at any given | | | | plans (because it always will). Remember, ... "Don't |
| time, and still accomplish your goal. | | | | put too many irons in your fire!". |
| This adage is aptly evident these days, referring | | | | |
