I’ve had a house guest for a few days. I was out sectioning apples for fermentation to feed the pigs with my pocketknife. He asked, why not just smash the apples with that excavator over there? It would be a lot faster. I thought about it, and the answer came slowly, like a hand sectioned apple.

Because if I do that I won’t be sitting here with no shirt on, feeling the early morning sun on my skin, using a knife I adore with hand motions so engrained that I can contemplate anything that comes to mind. Because fast and efficient, while sometimes necessary, is less fulfilling than this slow pursuit of functional perfection, as a mistake will leave a nasty cut on my thumb. Because this circumstance, in this moment makes me happy.