Don’t be That Person

Never let someone else’s negative or misplaced attitude and actions discourage you from becoming the best person you can be. 

Don’t Take What You Have For Granted

I know that I haven’t posted in a while, there is a lot of stuff going on in my life right now. 

Hug the ones you love and care about, I’ve seen so many close people die to me due to illness or freak accidents. You never know how much time you have with each other, treasure them dearly. 

Announcements!?

So, I’ve neglected the blog for a while, but I had good reason. I’ve been busy. Riggs Leatherworks is keeping steadily busy, I’m moving, and I got engaged!

Me when I was a child, dressed as a cowboy with appropriate socks, for your entertainment. You’re welcome. 

I found the lady that I love and she loves me back, so we figured, hey, let’s keep this up for the next 40 or 50 years. I’ll have a lot of updates about that soon, we have a little while to expand on that subject with you. 

Like I said, it’s been busy, and it’s not slowing down until around June sometime, and I’ll be able to update more then. Lots of plans, and I’ll keep you updated!

Until next time, dear readers…

Time Consuming

 Hello Readers,

As most of you know, I’ve been doing a lot of leatherwork, but just as anything that time consuming, you have to break it up.  What have I been doing? A lot, but here is something that has caught my attention. If you have been following the Riggs Leatherworks blog, you'll know of some of these.

Acrylic, 3D Printing, woodwork, metalworking, and tumbling media are a few of the items i've been able to work into products.  It's been nice breaking up the regular schedule with other items, and plus, I an use them in my leather products.

When I started my business online, I was warned several times not to take haters seriously.  I've had a few, and all were related to my ads on facebook.  I didn't take it personally, but did respond with an apology as they were actually upset with the ad algorithm on facebook and not my products.  That's not my fault, and I run very few ads at this time, so I anticipate more of the same, but it's water off the back.  Now if there was a complaint about a product someone ordered, that's a different story, we do everything we can to promote a better quality of service than most, so we would do our best to rectify the issue, but ads, I'm not going to apologize for those, especially since it's providing a great return.

Currently I am working on a site that customers can check to see where their item is in the production process, and It's been a challenge, especially since I'm swamped with orders and I am working on the First in, First Out, unless it is a pre-created item (keychains), then they are out the door within a day or two.

Yes, I'm busy, but I'm very glad for it.  I've been slowly working on the book I'm writing around a couple sets of samurai armor, one item of which is already on the store, the best project of each set will also be available on the site later, but they will probably be the most expensive items I've ever posted.  Stay tuned for more info.

Until next time, dear readers...

A Word on Self Growth

 Dear readers,

I try to post the positive, but alas, not everything is sunshine and roses.  Riggs Leatherworks is starting to take off which makes me happy  Unfortunately, there are people in this world who just can't have a positive spin on the things they do.

As my father and I were making our way back from DFW, my mom called and said the place where our storage units where (he has one, I have one) said my locker had been broken into.  This isn't new, this happens on a regular basis, however, this time they were right.

Starting from the back of my approximately 8x20ft unit, they started at the back and ransacked everything possible. All this on a day special to our family (It was my grandfather's birthday).  Police were called, reports were made, but it looks like the perpetrators fife't have enough sense to cover some of their tracks, so we might have a good lead soon.

Now, I also had gotten food poisoning that day unbeknownst to be.  That has mostly finished wrecking my body at least. 

There are a lot of negatives, but I must be growing, because, while I am upset, I know that I'll get through it, and that whoever decided to play around in my storage isn't important.  Things aren't important, people are.

Like I said, I must be growing emotionally even at my oldish age.

Me as a Benedictine Monk

Look for more positives coming, I'm about 12,000 words into the book about Bushido, and I'm up to my neck in work for clients.  I've been busy, and at times it's a bit overwhelming, but I got this.

Until next time, dear readers...

P.S. - I know quite a few of you read the first chapter of my book, would anyone be interested in an audio version? Let me know!

Bushido

As most of you dear readers know, I am working on a story to go with the samurai armor sets I'm building. It's been an interesting work, but I thought I would share with you first, the non-final draft first chapter.  Let me know what you think! (Although his first true mask isn't mentioned in this chapter, it is already for sale!) 

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1

The Way of the Lost Samurai

For years “honorable” samurai have been raiding villages on their way to or from a mission. By definition, this is unbecoming of a samurai. 

Ando Shukishi was tired of it.  He was a blacksmith by trade, and unlike most of his village, he could read. And that he did, a lot.  That’s how he learned of the Samurai Code, and he tried to live by it.  When he had seen such atrocities committed by this “Samurai,” he felt utter disgust, but he also felt the need to do something.

Ando decided to begin making himself some armor, he was outlining the armor pattern on some paper when someone walked into his blacksmith shop. His name was Sumida Kobo, and he was known to be brutal.  He was the leader of the Samurai who raided the villages. Sumida took the armor pattern, thanked Ando and walked out. Before he left, he turned to Ando, looking through his One designed mask and said “If I find that you or anyone is even thinking of opposing me or the Shogunate, you lives will be the price.”

Ando kept his cool, and he realized he would have to work more stealthily on his project.  In direct opposition to the raiders, he decided to make his own Samurai Armor, but it wouldn’t be black as there’s, but brown, to set him apart.  It was also not needed to dye leather to make it brown, and as dye was expensive, nor was not easy to come by. He read many old books on how the construction of the armor took place.  Ando was, fortunately, a man of patience, and he knew that this project was not going to be fast, but in the end it would be well worth it, if it worked.

In the village was a “retired” warrior.  Ando knew he could trust and confide in him his plans.  The retired warrior, Jissoji Harumi, laughed.  While he thought it was a good plan, he did not think Ando was the one to wear the armor, he wasn’t ready physically, or mentally.  They worked together and came to an agreement, Jissoji would teach Ando everything he knew, and all he asked in return was that Ando stop the raids by whatever means, but most importantly that Kobo answer for his crimes.

To kill a Samurai of the Emperor, is considered treason and punishable by death.  He decided he would approve this politically as well.  He sent a letter to the emperor in which the whole village put their mark on.  Hopefully this would put an end to the raids, but just in case, Ando continued to make plans for his armor and Jissoji continued to train him.  The path has been started, now we see where it goes.

The group of samurai that Jissoji was a member of had a primary color of blue, so his blade set was blue.  If wouldn’t match the armor, but as long as they worked, that was the main concern. Ando’s practice sessions could last 3-4 hours a day, and while training he became aware of places on the body that armor would be beneficial. Jissoji did not have his blue armor, but presented it back to the Emperor when he retired. 

During this time, the raids did continue, so either the letter had not made it, or the emperor did not care, they were on their own.  Ever since finding the armor Ando was working on, Kobo would inspect his smith shop every raid to make sure he wasn’t making any weapons or armor for anyone.  It was tedious, he did have time to hide his project plans behind a false wall before the “inspection.”

So far, going by what Jissoji had remember of his armor, Ando had made a mask pattern, one that looked like Kobo’s, but different in design. His armor would be again, brown, plain and simple like the village he so loved, and he would not adorn his mask with the image of an Oni, but something else. Something that he knew would frighten Kobo, but what was he afraid of?

Jissoji taught Ando Bushido, the way of the warrior.  Slowly instilling within him the positives of the samurai, and not the wrongs of the past they had committed.  The book that Ando had read glorified the Samurai and even had left out some of the main tenants of being samurai. The history of the samurai is not as honorable and glorious as usually remembered. Jissoji saw this as his opportunity to train Ando, and for once in many generations, maybe a true samurai would form from this broken man, taught by an old warrior, is willing to learn to save what he loved, what, Jissoji thought, could be more honorable?

Bushido, the way of the warrior.  Over the generations it had became more of a joke than the true ethical code of conduct it was originally intended to be.  Ando knew nothing of the origins of the samurai, which was good, because the origins are not as romantic as have been suggested.

Bushido. The chivalrous code for the samurai, but did it withstand the test of time? No. Bushido eventually became more of an adaptation model,  an ideal that was no longer tangible because of the current mindset of the samurai.

This is where Jissoji taught Ando about Ronin. They are samurai with no master (or who have conquered their own master) and roam the countryside looking for fights.  Ronin were trouble, they had little honor and the code of Bushido was completely last on them.

Ando looked a bit silly with just his hat on, but Jissoji told him about samurai masks. They were often depicted as Oni (Devils\Demons) to scare away their enemy. This set about a thought in Ando’s mind again.  What can I do to make Kobo terrified instantly. For that, he would have to do some work, some asking around, but lightly enough not to raise suspicion. Luckily, he was a very intelligent man, so he started on his quest, slowly making progress, although most people were afraid to speak of Kobo, because the walls all had ears that led back to him it seemed.

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Again, let me know your thoughts!

Until next time, dear readers..

JAMES Talk

As I have mentioned on social media, I planned on filming my own TED talk type show called the JAMES talk.  Well, I had to do an audio only version of the first talk, and I am working on possibly downing the videos, but currently, my setup isn't allowing me that kind of production value.

The first JAMES Talk is about Healing. I don't claim to hold the secret to how to heal, or heal faster (which sounds nice, but might not be best in the long run), but I do hold some tips that help.  Click Below for the first James Talk!

CLICK HERE - JAMES Talk (Healing)

Until next time dear readers...