In two days, it will be Thanksgiving here in the United States. This is a US holiday tradition rooted in genuine peace, cooperation and friendliness between two unique worlds. It reminds me of a time where I felt vastly different from everyone around me. I walked quietly through life, trying to fit in while feeling like an outcast. I studied hard in school as a way out, but even a job in tech with all of its opportunity and similar minds didn’t relieve the loneliness.
Everything shifted in 2020 when I was unexpectedly laid off as a result of COVID. I dove back into bookbinding and started this blog in Feb of 2021 to help others like me who might be feeling alone.
With each and every post and response on email and social media, I started to feel the blank space around me fill up. And when I visited the American Academy of Bookbinding in June and July of this year, I met people who actually saw me. I didn’t realize how many years I’d lived without being truly seen until that moment.
I knew these people were never going to turn me away because of my gender, appearance or education. They weren’t going to roll their eyes at me for my focus on efficiency and process. They didn’t think my engineering brain was wasted on a woman. Instead, they were intrigued by what I knew (and didn’t know – eager to speak their ideas). Most of them even shared my loves of cooking and baking, because the chemistry involved echoes bookbinding in a way only we could understand.
It was as if two unique worlds morphed into one where I finally belong.
Maybe this is a little too mushy for you.
I get it, so I’ll mop up the sap and close with this:
I am so grateful for you.
I’m grateful for the Internet and the duality of social media.
I’m thankful for open minds, tender hearts and those eager to learn.
I am forever indebted to the world you’ve welcomed me into.
If you’re new here, I’m throwing open the doors and greeting you with a smile. Whether you love bookbinding or not, you’re here and we need you.
This craft has been around for thousands of years and yet it sits on the precipice of disappearance. Together, I know we can change that trajectory.
On this Thanksgiving of 2022, as I laugh with my kids and eat wayyyy too many good foods prepared by the hands of those I love and care about, I will be thinking of this community.
I hope I’ve helped you in some way this year. Stick around, because there is so much more to come.
Take care, gobble ’til you wobble, and know I am wishing you the warmest holiday with those you care about.
Very kindly yours,
Misty
