Nails

Nails are used to hold our houses together and keep the rails in place under our trains.

They are used as art. One time I saw a sculpture of an old shoe and a work glove with hundreds of nails driven into them, all twisted, bent and painted flat black. I felt I was looking at someones whole life, working hard, just trying to get ahead; only to be constantly nailed and held down.

Nails are used as twisted little puzzles to keep idle mines occupied.

They have been used for torture and to cause death. Jesus was hung on the cross with nails.

As a youngster I could not pronounce my N's. I used to say lail instead of nail. I remember the day I ran to my mother, shouting, "I can say it, I can say it. "Let me hear you " she said. For a four year old I had to think hard, but I could really say "nail".

I have used nails as a learning experience. I used to sit in the doorway between the dinning room and kitchen and pound nails into the floor. I used a large claw hammer. When I finished, the nails were bent and twisted. I pulled them out and started all over again.

This was the busy time of my day, taught me how to hammer, taught me what patience was and the lack of it. I was only three.

After the house was remodeled with new oak floors, Mom had no patience, with a three year old, with a hammer.