7 of 24 - Safety Coordination meetings
My odd-length pins could create stresses—subtle but persistent—in the pelvis and back. Leaning on things helped shift the weight and temper the ache. I wasn’t picky: door frames, bollards, machinery, even startled classmates if they stood still long enough. Anything that offered a moment’s relief would do. At school, the craft workshop was a reliable sanctuary. It had lathes and drills, chisels and clamps, and—rather gloriously—a small gas forge. This forge relied on an electric blower fan to feed air to the flame. When both flame and fan were in full voice, conversation became an exercise in mime and shouting. A proper din. My metalwork project was a garden gate. Nothing fancy—just functional blacksmithing—but I’d designed two wrought iron scrolls to grace the top. Scrolls, it turns out, require finesse. You heat flat iron strips until they glow red, then bend them on a jig while the metal is malleable. Heating takes time. Time enough to lean. On this occasion, I chose the d...