By Steve

For Musicians, Martin pluckers and many more

Last Friday I went to the Taylor Guitar factory in El Cajon with some friends for a free tour. Usually the word "tour" does very little for me (unless the words "de France" come next) and being that it was free...well lets just say I was looking forward to spending some time with my friends.

Although the time with my friends was good, the tour was great. You don't have to be a musician, or know anything about guitars, this tour should find itself on the "must do" list for anyone who visits San Diego (if there is such a list). From stacks of acclimating wood and rough carpentry to inlays and laser cutting we got an up close and personal look at how 300 Taylor guitars are made each day. We even got to walk away with handfuls of coasters...the cut-outs from the guitar soundholes.

One of the things that stuck out to me while watching some of the 500 employees work, was seeing the tension between artistry and assembly line. Some jobs were quite brainless, mundane and well...looked boring. Other positions seemed to be more artistic, precise and well...exciting. And all these jobs working together resulted in the worlds finest guitars, Taylor.

Life seems like this to me. Some things seem assembly line-ish, or ritualistic. People talk about going through the motions, and not being able to wait for the weekend. Other things seem more artistic or spontaneous, and we are often inspired by such moments. Maybe it is through all experiences of life, that something beautiful is crafted and shaped. A work of God, literally. Maybe.