How healing after dying at the scene of a car accident and being revived on the way to the hospital influenced my wood working journey.

It's true I could no longer do the construction work and pool cleaning jobs that I used to do, but that’s not why I started making wood projects. After my accident, I spent almost a year in the hospital and another half a year in a wheelchair. I had broken my pelvis, which was fixed with five screws holding it together, also crushed my T12 vertebrate to dust which was also fixed with a back fusion operation.

Between my pelvis operation and my back fusion, due to the fact that I had collapsed one of my lungs during the accident they cut me through the side of my body instead of cutting me through the back resulting in a total of 65 staples not stitches but big ugly giant staples. I looked like a human zipper. Anyways, that’s a story for another time. This is a story of a little wooden paper towel holder. It was this process of healing after being broken and put back together that I started noticing old broken and discarded pieces of wood and I remember thinking if I could be put back together and fixed, surely I could repurpose some of this wood I find.

The first thing I made while still going to physical therapy and having learned to walk again was a paper towel holder, which I kept hearing my mother say she needed. I made it out of a broken piece of bed frame. I took out the staples and nails and cut out the pieces that I needed. I made a paper towel holder out of it and left the staple scars and painted it with a walnut color stain, and a glossy finish to match the table and chairs I have. I thought it was the most beautiful wooden paper towel holder even though you could still see the staple scars and nail holes. I was very pleased with my little wooden paper towel holder.

I wasn't looking to make the best paper towel holder. I was simply trying to give this piece of broken bed frame another chance at life. I know that sounds weird. I mean, we are talking about a piece of wood. Maybe it was the fact that I was once broken and was fixed and not knowing if was ever going to be useful again had me feeling like I had to make this this piece of broken bed frame useful again.

And now 10 years and many wood projects ago, I feel a connection with this little paper towel holder. I see myself every time I look at it with its staples scars and broken pieces that have been screwed together. Repurposed and given another chance at life it has brought me peace and joy. I know that sounds corny, but it’s true. and I have been building things with as much refurbished wood as I can find ever since.