Not bad for a terrible carpenter using sub-par materials, cheap and often incorrect tools, and a sorry ability with mathematics.

I was genuinely impressed today that the cabinet I’ve been working on for weeks now actually fit together moderately well. Nothing is square and very little is the exact same dimension, but it is sturdy for the most part.

Part of me was giddy that it worked so well, another part of me sat back with an iced whiskey, Cuban cigar, in an aged leather reading chair, and said, “Well, what’d you expect?”

Honestly the one in the leather chair should be knee-capped with a bat for being so smug, but, honestly, the sentiment is… true.

A properly squared shoulder should meet a true cheek evenly. There is grace, however, in cellulose, in that a sixteenth give or take a thirty-second is forgiven.

My tools are not that bad, but its the jigs. I’m cheap, so I use cut-offs and scrap to make the jigs. So construction grade tools paired with pine and plywood will not necessarily give straight or 90° lines.

But standing back, looking at a poorly, if dutifully made, cabinet finds me shocked that it only wiggles just this much.

Something about straight lines against straight-ish lines finding forgiveness is surprising.

I’ve said over my years there is humor in curves. Look at funny cartoons – curves. Architectural drawings are not funny.

Curves = openness, frivolity, freedom

Straight Lines = rules, logic, determined outcome

But, apparently, straight lines have an inherent forgiveness.

If you’re off on one end, you can make it up here or there.

Its okay.

Have the piece of cake.

To err is human, to forgive is… well… sacred geometry.