Overthink it

...or, just think it?

I am sometimes accused of overthinking things. Case in point: the just-passed Week of reflection. I love the Week of Reflection, and, as every year, I am tempted to declare this the Year of Reflection. But I know from past experience that the charm will wear off; I am more a Fortenbras than a Hamlet, which is why I needed the Week in the first place. Sooner or later you need to commit to an action and implement it.

That does not mean that thinking is done for the year! Case in other point: these bowls. I am trying to design a cereal-size bowl for one of two lines I plan to offer this year (more on that later.) I threw several, thinking I knew what I wanted, but they were not quite right: too stiff and boxy, the Paul Bratter of bowls. The next I threw more mindfully, and though it is similar to the first, it struck me as prissy and tentative. Call that bowl Felix Unger, to stick with the Neil Simon theme. The third I threw thicker, allowing for bolder, more generous facets. This bowl is secure in its masculinity! Let's call this bowl Elliot Garfield. Assuming I still prefer "Elliot" after trimming, he joins a previously designed mug in the Lodge line of ware. The other line is to be called Cottage, and will feature curvier shapes and lighter colors; a more feminine look. BTW, am I the only one who thinks of pots as gendered?