Skillfulness

I decided to take a short break from viewing watch repair-servicing videos and switch subject matter to another fiddly topic of personal interest. I searched for “master model car builders”. This subject interested me because I used to assemble 1/25th scale model cars when I was a boy. The hobby was a common interest with my late younger brother, Mark.

With the memories of Mark and me building our model cars and the desire to watch something different, I clicked on a video of Jesse Gallagher’s work. He demonstrated his techniques of how to expertly complete a BMW 2002tii coupe. His detail work is breathtaking and dazzling to the extreme. Gallagher brings model car building to a higher level. After watching the video, I thought about how much Mark would have loved seeing Gallagher work his magic. (If you wish to view this video, search for “Jesse Gallagher BMW model car video” and the YouTube link will appear.)

I’ve long admired the amount of patience and the steady nerves of people like Gallagher who build models and folks like master watch-builder Masahiro Kikuno who creates original time pieces inspired by traditional Japanese craftsmen. The skill-levels such people have honed and perfected are inspirational and awe-inspiring. Their dedication and patience demonstrate that almost anything is possible if you focus your desire and will into practicing your art or craft.

“Maybe the Dalai Lama is the only person who is totally honest, and even with him, he’s skillful not to hurt anybody. He’s skillful.”–Richard Gere

To many people’s surprise, Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, is an avid watchmaker. His followers know that His Holiness loves to take things apart and put them back together in working order. His first pocket watch was a very rare Patek Philippe 658 that was gifted to him by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. This was also the first watch he ever took apart and serviced. Although he’s in his 80s, the Dalai Lama still performs all the maintenance and servicing on each of his 15 watches including the Patek.

Whenever I feel uninspired and unmotivated to do a task or undertake a project, I conjure up mental images of highly skillful people like the Dalai Lama or some other artist, artisan, athelete, or writer. They are examples of high human potential. Their skillfulness enhances their inner beauty and love of life.

Ciao
The Blue Jay of Happiness quotes Ancient Greek philosopher, Epictetus. “The greater the difficulty the more glory in surmounting it. Skillful {ship} pilots gain their reputation from storms and tempests.”