Thia site is dedicated to the woodcraft of David A. Fuess. Some parts of the prior site have been retained as secondary tribute to the Burnett S. Fuess family. If you need access to those parts of the site send me an email explaining that need. If you don't know my email address then you likely don't need access anyway, In the meantime I hope you enjoy the work I have on exhibit here.
| “Mediocrity knows nothing higher than itself, but talent instantly recognizes genius.” |
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— Arthur Conan Doyle, "The Valley of Fear" |
"He was haunted by what had been, what might have been, and what could never be."
-- Dean Koontz, The Other Emily
In every life there are nexuses where a single decision sets the course for everything that follows. While the nexus may not be recognized when it is occurring, one can almost always locate the specific moment in retrospect. It could be as simple as a high school breakup, or a pivotal moment where you planned to "pop the question" but didn't, or it could be as simple as not taking action when action was due. Those moments populate the stage with "what had been." It is in retrospect that one asks "I wonder what might have been" if I had only ... And alas, that's where the haunting begins because at this point you have already entered the "could never be" stage. You should not infer that the haunted is necessarily dissatisfied with the status quo but rather haunted by curiosity about how life would have played out had the alternate decision been made. I have had three such nexuses in my life and COVID-19 had provided the leisure to contemplate them. Now it would be interesting to compare notes with the other(s) involved to understand the effect of the nexus from their perspective and how their lives were altered for better or worse.
Fairness is an illusion of the weak and ignorant; it is the insincere promise made by those who manipulate the masses for gain.
-- Dean Koontz, The Night Shadow