I have been fascinated by meteorites since childhood. For over three decades we were actively selling meteorites and tektites worldwide. For over fifty years I have been cutting them. At first, I cut for several other dealers of the old guard. This was back when we bought and sole from printed mailing lists or by phone calls to see what was new and exciting. Later I cut mostly just for our business.
But times change, they always do. I still have my collection, and I am working at creating displays so I can enjoy more of it. I have a long way to go in that regard as most of the collection still remains in plastic stackable drawer units. My retirement focus has moved to public presentations in the local area. I am doing talks more frequently and creating display cases for events to showcase meteorites. Sometimes I sit with the display cases and engage with the visitors attending the events. Other times I loan out the display cases. On those occasions they have information and descriptive cards next to the specimens.
Several times a year I give presentations on meteorite related topics to adult groups mostly in the evening and usually speak to one or two schools each year. Last Thursday I spoke to the local Gem and Mineral Society on the general topic of meteorites. Topics included the history of meteorites, the types of meteorites, and the value of meteorites to science and just a bit about the dangers that asteroids threaten to bring to our planet. On this coming Friday I will be speaking to four classes at one of the nearby elementary schools. I will be talking about what meteorites are and what makes them unique as rocks. I always take a few specimens with me to show and pass around. I will have to make those decisions in the next day or so. I usually take a display case with some slices of most of the main meteorite types. The image below is a typical case that I make up. It has Martian, Lunar, Irons, Pallasites, achondrites and most of the chondrites represented. The students get a good opportunity to see slices of all types of meteorites.
I enjoy telling the story of meteorites and sharing some of my enthusiasm for this discipline that has been a lifelong interest of mine. I always hope that perhaps one of the student will catch the excitement I have for meteorites and want to become one of the next generation of scientists who will classify space rocks for the next generation of meteorite hunters. I know that it is a dream but it’s a good dream. I have two days to prepare my thoughts for the talk. These are elementary students and they usually are more attentive than the high school students. The last time I spoke to high schoolers several came into class and immediately put their heads down and went to sleep. That was before class began. It happened in every one of the five classes we spoke to. I was accompanied that day by a friend from the Gem and Mineral Society who spoke about rocks and minerals in the local area and opportunities for careers in geology. I doubt that any of the elementary school students will be going to sleep in class.
I miss not cutting meteorites everyday sometimes. I do not miss being in the meteorite business too much. That has passed into the hands of wonderful younger eager meteorite loving friends. I am happy to have more time for the other interests I put off for all the years I was so occupied with work. I have a backlog of meteorite cabochons and beads that are slowly making their way into silver work. I have plenty of unclassified meteorites to cut if I really feel the need to do some meteorite lapidary work. I have about two dozen wafers glued to glass slides that have been sitting in a drawer waiting to be finished into thin sections. I have not been meteorite hunting in a long time and want to get back to doing that. I have friends here in town that got excited about hunting for them and bought expensive metal detectors. I need to take them out and get them started using their machines.
I have plenty of gemstone rough waiting to be faceted into stones like those show below. I revived that hobby about a year ago after taking almost fifty years off. My faceted stones will continue to make their way into jewelry also. It’s been three months since I cut a stone. I spend the cold winter days repairing and restoring antique clocks. I need to cut more stones. I find it a challenging way to spend a day. I am not very fast at cutting stones. It takes the better part of an eight hour day to complete one faceted stone. I can make almost thirty meteorite cabochons in the same amount of time.
I may not be working everyday with meteorites, but I am still very busy. I am back to art that I put off for years. I have always had too many hobbies. I started life as an artist and it is great to be back at it. Though for some things it may be too late. I was a painter in my twenties. I tried painting about five years ago and I was so stiff that it showed in the work. But I have found my place again in ceramics. I am doing mosaics again and they have been great fun. The one on going project remains to get the meteorites out of their boxes and drawers and out on display. That will send me off into woodworking something else I enjoy doing. This image is one area in the house where some of my various collections are displayed.
I have my small box of meteorites and slices and am off in three hours to talk to the elementary school students. Then I have some work to do running my rolling mills making silver for jewelry. My small kiln doubles as my annealing furnace. At the current price of silver I won’t be buying my wire and sheet from commercial suppliers. I have my studio all cleaned up after fixing six clocks this winter. Its back to ceramics. I almost hate to start tracking footprints of clay powder into the house again. I guess I need to have a better door mat so I can really wipe my shoes off.
If I was to give advice and I rarely give advice those words would be to not do what I have done and wait for retirement to enjoy doing your recreational and artistic endeavors. Make the time throughout your working years. There is more writing for me to do as well. I have almost enough short stories written for another book. So that will keep me busy formatting that soon. Bye for now.
