The quotation which titles this piece was the favorite saying of Right Excellent Companion Reginald Isaac Cross.  He used it any time a task had been completed and was, perhaps not the prettiest job ever done.  You see, dad was not great on esthetics.  To him the importance about any piece of completed work was that it performed the intended function, not that it looked good doing it.

Around our house there were all manner of things which were held together or were constructed in the true fashion of a jackknife carpenter.  I can remember a time when he had just completed building a recreation room in the basement of our house.  A folding couch had been purchased and a small coffee table was needed.  Reg found a piece of the inch thick, good one-side plywood and set about making the table.

The top was easy; just square the corners and sand the edges.  The legs were another matter.  Although screw on legs were available at the hardware store, Dad set about making his own system.  He cut four small blocks of wood; made four legs from one inch stock, and used his quarter inch drill to cut out 60 degree holes in the blocks to accommodate the legs.

I was sure there was no way the table would sit flat on the floor because the leg holes had been drilled by eye, using a hand-held drill rather than with the drill press where the angle could be set for all pieces.  The blocks for secured to the tops of the legs, and screwed to the bottom of the tabletop.  When it was flipped over the table sat solid as a rock on four splayed legs, each of which made solid contact with the floor.

Was the table a beautiful piece of furniture?  Not really.  Did it hold a cup of coffee as you sat watching television?  It sure did, and "a blind man would be glad to see it". 

What was Dad really saying when he used his favorite phrase?  He was telling everyone who would listen that how you do things in life is not important.  What matters is that the things you do must meet immediate needs; that importance lies in completing the allotted task, not in how good it looks when finished, but that it serves the intended purpose.

So, my brethren and companions, according to the Reg Cross doctrine of life; you are to get out there and do your work.  Don't complain about the lack of proper tools, make use of what you have.  Remember, above all, that your tasks must be completed, they must fill the need and don't worry about what others might say about the look of your work. 

A blind man would be glad to see it!