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LESSONS LEARNED The Good. The Bad. And the Ugly. |
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In 1968 my boyfriend and I snuck into the drive-in theater in Lewisburg PA via somebody’s car trunk to see The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Blondie, Angel Eyes, and Tuco. During my lifetime, I have been each of those gunslingers.
The Vortex: I believe I was born without the empathy gene. Combined with my very active mind and restless nature, I am easily irritated and have often acted thoughtlessly, impulsively, and cruelly, self-righteously justifying my behaviors. I have struggled with anger, addictions, crappy relationships, and questionable decisions, resulting in some very dark times.
The Evolution: Over the years with the support of people who believe in me, I have gradually (and sometimes grudgingly) evolved from a place of darkness to a place of light.
The Sunflower: I have tried to learn from my mistakes and continue to work on developing basic traits like honesty, forgiveness, empathy, and patience. It’s a lifetime process--75 years and counting. I’m grateful for opportunities to learn and grow every day.
The Vortex: I believe I was born without the empathy gene. Combined with my very active mind and restless nature, I am easily irritated and have often acted thoughtlessly, impulsively, and cruelly, self-righteously justifying my behaviors. I have struggled with anger, addictions, crappy relationships, and questionable decisions, resulting in some very dark times.
The Evolution: Over the years with the support of people who believe in me, I have gradually (and sometimes grudgingly) evolved from a place of darkness to a place of light.
The Sunflower: I have tried to learn from my mistakes and continue to work on developing basic traits like honesty, forgiveness, empathy, and patience. It’s a lifetime process--75 years and counting. I’m grateful for opportunities to learn and grow every day.
Construction Details:
This three-dimensional construction is my own design. Depth was needed to create the vortex, so my husband and I made a drum-like frame four inches deep. From the back, the vortex looks like a felt witch’s hat held together with very strong glue. To express the haywire times of my life, I chose thin, non-lead soldering wire.
I sewed the triangles of fabric onto the foundation fabric in reverse order from the other panels. That is, I stitched down the outermost circle of sunflower petals (pink and yellow, my favorite color combination) first so they would overhang the frame, then added inner rows, ending at a pre-constructed hole where the vortex would be glued in place.
This three-dimensional construction is my own design. Depth was needed to create the vortex, so my husband and I made a drum-like frame four inches deep. From the back, the vortex looks like a felt witch’s hat held together with very strong glue. To express the haywire times of my life, I chose thin, non-lead soldering wire.
I sewed the triangles of fabric onto the foundation fabric in reverse order from the other panels. That is, I stitched down the outermost circle of sunflower petals (pink and yellow, my favorite color combination) first so they would overhang the frame, then added inner rows, ending at a pre-constructed hole where the vortex would be glued in place.
Copyright Jane McLean, 2023