The Jar with the crooked handle

Adonis Papadipoulos was a potter. To speak modestly of him, he was a gifted and successful potter. Well he was jolly well the best that there was in his time. Rumour had it that as a little boy, he once had an encounter with Athena herself, the Greek goddess of craft.

He owned several stalls in the big market in Athens and he was never short of customers who came to buy his masterpieces that were constantly on display. He made artefacts, vases, pottery of all kinds and even sculptures.

They came in droves from far and near. His works were a wonder to behold, tending very near perfection.

You see, it was difficult to find anything he had made having any flaws as he knew his craft well and worked tirelessly to produce the best.

If anyone ever cared to ask him in awe which one of his works he deemed the very best, he would quickly reach to a conspicuous corner of his stall and produce an old, ugly looking clay jar with a crooked handle.

That has never failed to draw more questions from the now confused customer. 'Your works are known for their beauty and perfection, how come you choose to keep this ugly jar as your best work?' the customer would say.

Adonis always offered the same explanation with a wry smile and a bright twinkle in his eyes.

'I keep this to remind me and everyone who cares to stop and ponder with me that near perfection is possible but happens as a process. A long painstaking process that one has to pass through with utmost patience and perseverance.'

He points to all the beautiful artefacts in his stall.

'Look at all these' he says, I would never have been able to make them if I had given up on this ugly looking jar. But in this ugly jar with the crooked handle, I find inspiration and wisdom to know that though it is crooked and ugly now, if worked on with a little more patience, tolerance, perseverance, wisdom, it can become the masterpiece it ought to be'.

Beautiful, elegant, shiny and perfect to behold.

I'll take a cue from Adonis and admit that I'm like that little jar, complete with the crooked handle.

I have my shortcomings, I have my flaws and I cannot in the least way claim to be a perfect person. That won't be hard to tell once you come a little closer and see through whatever facade of finesse and sophistication I may put up. I guess that makes me human like everyone else.

But I can be better. I strive to be a better person.

I can be like that rough uncut diamond that if worked on becomes a beautiful gem.

So don't look at my crooked handle today, but look at the beautiful masterpiece that I can become if worked on with a little more patience, understanding and tolerance.


Olusola Olaoluwakitan.