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 Beads on a String
by Alice Korach
I recently taught a two-Saturday class at a local leather-crafts store that’s getting into beads. I met Steve, the owner, when I was looking for some thin, colored leather and thong for beading projects. So as Steve has gotten more interested in building his bead offerings, he has called on me for information and advice. The result became four hours on basic loom weaving followed by brick stitch (because one of the ladies in the class wanted to make Greenbay Packer Earrings. Another of the women wanted to learn bead crocheted rope, so I got her started and gave her and a few others a quickie demo.
So what’s the point? The point is that I was reminded yet again that people who like beads and working with them tend to be awfully nice people. There’s something about sitting around a table and sharing the pleasure of beading, if you’re an experienced beader, or being introduced to a new technique where everyone shares the experience of feeling awkward and a bit confused and then one by one they get it that brings about a spirit of openness and generosity.
People bought kits for the loom weaving part of the class, but when we got to the Packer brick stitch earrings, a few people used the leftover beads from their loom kits, but most used a few of the green and gold beads that Kathy who’d wanted to learn brick stitch was buying. Sure a brick stitch earring doesn’t take a lot of beads, but the way Kathy said, “Sure. Take what you need,” and handed over way more beads than anyone needed made me feel good. “Yep, these are beaders in the making. They have the true beader’s spirit,” I thought happily.
When the class was over one of the other women handed out gold-colored coins, which she said were “Peace” coins. “Pass it along,” Mary urged all of us. She said that she had been giving them out ever since 9-11 because she doesn’t want people to withdraw and become afraid of each other. She added that sometimes when she’s taking her grandchildren through the drive-through at a fast-food restaurant, she’ll pay for the car behind her, too, as a gesture of goodwill. She didn’t want us to think she was extra-good or wanted to be praised, she just thinks it’s important to do little, unexpected kindnesses for others, and she feels it’s especially important to show that attitude to the children.
I think most of us beaders, in our own ways, share Mary’s feelings. That’s why there has been so much support for the Bead Artists Against Breast Cancer silent and live auctions that the Bead Babe and I are so involved in. Everyone wants to help. Every year, more and more people contribute and more people bid in person and on-line.
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BeadBabe.com and Bead&Button Presents
 2004 Online Breast Cancer Auction
Auctions are Now Underway
All Proceeds go the National Breast Cancer Foundation
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As beaders, we want to make the world a better, safer, happier, healthier place, and as we string our beads –one by one – we make gestures, small and large, that increase sharing and kindness in the part of the world that we touch. Like the beads on the string, we know we’re all in this together.
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