A friend and I have been wanting an excuse to get together more often and spend quality time chatting, bonding, and, if it worked out, making something pretty white we were at it. We researched classes that were being offered in our area and decided upon an intro to jewelry-making class at a school near work. We envisioned meeting up every Tuesday night and mindlessly, effortlessly, second naturedly crafting stunning works, sure to elicit compliments to which we could reply, "Thanks! I made it!"
So far, I can see myself neither wearing anything I have made nor claiming it as my handiwork.
You read above that this is Intro to Jewelry, right? Intro? Lies. Everyone else in the class has taken it 3 or 4 times in previous semesters and is there for what I can identify as a few reasons: to use fancy metalsmithing jargon that has no place in everyday conversation, to wear crocs in an appropriately fashionless environment, because they have dreams of someday making this more than a once a week hobby, and to enjoy the high that goes along with showing up the newbies.
In short, we feel dumb. My friend E and I are both generally fairly type A, and we really thought we would rock this class. I don't generally like activities at which I don't excel or at least enjoy (ahem, kickball?) so I generally really don't like this! I do enjoy watching the demos, there is something very soothing about watching our teacher (whose day job is the real life version of CSI Atlanta) bend metal this way and that all while telling stories in a charming way, avoiding any real cursing by using words like unpleasant, uncomfortable and unfortunate. Love that. But this week marks class 4 and I am barely beyond the first lesson. I think this will turn into Intro to Patience, Humility and No Taking Oneself Too Seriously for me. That's cool. I already have enough jewelry.
I should mention that last week I went to happy hour right before the class and that the 3/4 of a beer I drank seemed to make the class much more fun. The teacher was so busy with the advanced students that E and I talked and walked around the halls of the school with coffees for the first 45 minutes. It really is like being in high school. Maybe even middle school if you consider the amount of self doubt and humiliation we are facing. So I am basically paying $175 to relive my youth. Well worth it.
