“The Dispensing Desk”
It’s odd sometimes where inspiration might be found. Sometimes a simple sound, smell, or sight can send us back in time or perhaps even ignite the fire that drives us forward! Lend me your ear and I’ll tell you a story…
When The Eye Bar was still in its conceptualization stage I would often ponder ideas for everything from frame selection to fixtures and often shared with anyone who would listen. Once, when thinking out loud about designing my dispensing desk for The Eye Bar; Dr. David E. Brown spoke up and mentioned an old barn he had on his property as a possible material source.
Dr. David E. Brown…“Doc” to me… was currently the Optometrist at the optical shop I had been working at for over 20+ years. At this point in his career, Doc had retired from his private practice and came back to optical because he missed it! He was that kind of doctor; one who loved actually helping his patients instead of just rushing them through an exam. That personality spilled over to everyone he encountered and I feel blessed to have worked and learned beside Doc for many years.
Doc’s kind heart and giving personality made it no surprise when he offered his barnwood as a free resource for me to use for The Eye Bar. All I had to do was go get it! So with limited expectations and the help of my friend Jason I went to Doc’s farm to take a look at this barn.
After a short walk from the truck and several swings of a machete to clear the undergrowth from our path we found it! A beautiful structure, well made but grown over by the forest. It’s interesting to think of the valuable resource this barn was when it was built. Now we stand in front of it and see it forgotten…untouched for decades…longing to be repurposed…waiting to be found useful again. The wood that makes this barn once served Doc and now it will get passed on to benefit another. This makes me think of all the knowledge passed from Doc to me and countless others that not just benefits us, but will hopefully benefit all those who we come into contact with moving through life! Years of experience aged into wisdom from life; much like barnwood beautifully aged by decades of exposure to the elements.
This is when the amazing free gift of Doc’s generosity gave way to the pending laborious task of removing the wooden boards from the barn and hauling them out of the woods. This is the kind of work that definitely requires another set of hands, but is hard to “make it worth” someone’s time to help; much like finding someone to help you move. This is where the free physical labor of a true friend is invaluable! It’s not that you couldn’t physically do it on your own, or even that it would simply take twice as long; but sometimes the support of a friend makes the task seem bearable and may prevent you from abandoning a great idea because of the hard work that precedes it. Jason and I worked for hours over multiple days to harvest the lumber needed to simply begin the process…
At this point, the physical labor gave way to the meticulous labor of love and attention to detail that turned old barnwood into beautiful furniture. I admit that to even say I played a small role in this process is a bit of an exaggeration! While I mostly busied myself with other projects preparing for The Eye Bar opening Jason spent an unconfirmed but ridiculous amount of hours turning that old barnwood into a dispensing desk.
I’m probably not the most qualified person to comment on the details of quality furniture, but just like in eyewear…true quality is noticeable! Often it’s found in the subtle details that are often overlooked and ignored. There is a sturdiness or robustness there that is too often missing because we accept it to be so. There is a uniqueness that excites our imaginations found in the materials chosen. Even in the smallest of details we can see the passion of the hands that made something better than what was just simply expected. True quality comes from something being done or created with passion instead of simple necessity as the driving force.
Every morning as I come into The Eye Bar I look at that dispensing desk and I find inspiration! It’s no small thing to know that you have the type of people in your life that are willing to not just help, but go above and beyond what we “expect” from friends. Amazingly, they often do this without counting the personal cost for themselves! I think of not just the gift of some old barnwood, but the gift of Doc’s time and knowledge so freely shared and how it has greatly benefited my life.
This world is bursting with beauty all around us ready to inspire, but sometimes it takes something a little closer to our hearts to really drive us. Something that might not mean as much to others, but speaks to our hearts. Something that really makes us want to strive to serve and love those around us better. Something that urges us to seek fulfillment by pouring ourselves into others for their benefit, not just our own. How does this not inspire us to love others around us better?
So, do you want to see how the dispensing desk turned out…? Come by The Eye Bar sometime and take a look for yourself. I’d love to show you around!
-J
