In 1943, Earnest Elmo Calkin, a retired advertising executive, wrote an essay about puttering.
It was war time. Most of the tradesmen in the military. Handymen were scarce, and spare parts were rationed. If something broke, you had improvise and overcome. Puttering was almost a patriotic duty.
I putter, but not out of patriotism. I think it has something to do with my need for balance. I need to do a little (not much) writing almost every day. I need to see a little of the natural world. I need to commune with gentle spirits and great souls, especially the Wise Woman. I need to read. And I need to putter. For me, puttering includes cleaning toilets and mowing lawns and all that stuff — not just repairs and maintenance. I like to use my hands.
Calkin mentioned casually that putterers must have tools. He spoke highly of a sloyd knife, which I had to look up. Now that I’m enlightened, I feel as if there’s an empty space in my tool bag.
• Source and notes: Earnest Elmo Calkin, “Hitting the Nail or The Art of Puttering”; The Atlantic, July 1943. It’s online here:
https://cdn.theatlantic.com/media/archives/1943/07/172-1/132419898.pdf
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