After the mistake

how do you recover

On Father's Day, I was carving a clown nose out of red cedar.

I have a problem. I have made two mistakes.

The nose fits perfectly without a string. I’ve hollowed it out so well that it just sits there on the end of my nose. It feels great. It also has a really nice nostril starting to see the light of day.

It’s a great nostril - angular, flaring and bold.

Here's the problem:

The nose needs to have a top and a bottom.

When I put it on in the way it fits my nose perfectly, the nostril is in the wrong place.

It is at the top of the nose.

When I turn it around to have it look great?

It falls off my nose.

Function or fashion?

What do I choose?

What would you do?

I can’t keep both things I like.

That’s my mistake.

As a result of this, I have to make a choice.

I have to make a choice between a perfectly fitting clown nose and a beautifully carved nostril.

Cedar is very unforgiving. It flakes and cracks and peels. Fixing this nose is not without its risks.

Time to choose.

My mistake is asking me: pick one.…