First and foremost, let me express my profound gratitude for you taking
an interest in my work and myself. This endeavor allows me the opportunity
to make real connections with total strangers on a daily basis. That, in
itself, is a tremendous honor and extraordinarily rewarding. Though I meet
thousands of people every year, it is a great privilege to create
something for each individual that (hopefully) will only become more
valuable to you and your loved-ones as time passes. I simply cannot
imagine how empty my life would be without this God-given gift. However, I
distinctly remember how empty it was before I received it.
As a young boy, I took great comfort in the knowledge that when I got older I was destined for greatness. I wasn't sure if that greatness would come calling in a football jersey or a baseball cap or maybe even both. I didn't really even care what type of uniform greatness came calling in because it was going to be great either way, and that was the only thing that really mattered. Of course, childhood somehow became adolescence without my having much noticed.
As a teenager, I had little time to fantasize about athletics. All of these thoughts of Super Bowl rings and batting titles were kid's stuff, I told myself. Surely, when greatness arrived it would be in the form of a low-slung Fender Stratocaster and a monstrous wall of Marshall amplifiers.
Lacking any spiritual direction early in life, I began an enormous struggle with my identity around age 13. This led directly to my experimenting with drugs and alcohol. I have always been very persistent and perhaps even overtly stubborn. This trait has always been my greatest ally and my worst enemy. After having been a good student until 10th grade, I somehow managed to graduate on time. I wasted one year in college before I decided it was time to see what the real-world had to offer.
Now that it was up to me to keep a roof over my head, I found little time for guitar-playing and the greatness that certainly would've come with it. After all, I was in a straight commission sales job and my boss had convinced me that the true size of a MAN was directly related to the size of his wallet. Now that I was an adult it finally dawned on me that greatness would soon be arriving in an Armani suit with an equally fashionable Gucci briefcase. I was a good salesperson but never the best. Of course, my boss was always there to remind me that you are either #1 or a total failure. Looking back, I now realize that I became afraid of being a success. At this point, my slide into the abyss of addiction was inevitable and nearly complete.
For several years after that I had some moderate success with a variety of forms of self-employment. I always fell a little bit short of being the best and moved on to something else. Finally, my primary goal had become to make enough money to "just get by".
In 1999 I was diagnosed with degenerative bone condition and was told that I would soon lose the ability to walk. There was some speculation my legs would have to be amputated! After a couple of major surgeries things began to look up. I was told I would be keeping my legs and would eventually re-learn to walk with the use of a "walker". For me this was completely unacceptable. It was at this time persistence became my great ally. It took 4 years but I am finally able to walk without even a limp except when I stand or walk for an unusually long time.
One day in early 2000 I woke up in the intensive care ward of the hospital. To this day I have no idea what happened to me. Apparently, the housekeeper at a motel found me on the bathroom floor unconscious. I had a cracked skull, a broken nose, broken ribs, and some pretty hefty lacerations on my face and scalp. It was determined, due to blood loss and coagulation, I had been unconscious for at least 10 hours. When I had regained some sense of coherency, a doctor came to visit me. He told me he could think of no logical reason why I was still vertical and breathing. He then asked me if I believed in God. I told him that I had always believed in God, but had never really paid much attention to Him. He said, "Maybe it's time to start." A few hours later I asked the nurse if she could find this doctor because I wanted to know exactly what he meant. She had no earthly idea who I was talking about and her wry grin suggested that my morphine I.V. was causing me to imagine things. Nobody seemed to know who this guy was and that bothered the heck out of me.
The following day I felt worse about my future than ever before. I then decided that my life was beyond my control. Then I said to myself, "God, I no longer want to live like this. I realize I have been spared many times but I have no idea why. Would you please show me what you want and I will try my best not to disappoint you." A couple of weeks later I came across a man making hand casts while I was out job-hunting. I knew right then, as sure as I know 2 + 2 = 4, that this was what I was to do.
Greatness had finally come calling. It wasn't wearing a cap or a jersey or a $1500.00 suit. It wasn't carrying an electric guitar or a leather briefcase. When greatness finally made an appearance He was dressed in a white smock with a stethoscope around His neck. I finally understood that the true measure of a MAN lies in the size of his heart, the strength of his conviction, and his desire to please his Creator.
I used to carry a great deal of shame about my past. It is difficult to decide how much of your soul you're willing to bare knowing full well that some will rush to judgment. I have been told more than once that as a businessman I should be a little less vocal about my past as it may hurt me financially. I have also been warned against sharing my personal beliefs in this particular forum. It is not my intention to offend anyone, nor is it my intention to preach. After all, I have never been accused of wearing my halo too tight. However, it is of the utmost importance to give credit where it's due. In other words, I do consider my work an art-form although I tend to shy away from being called an artist. Seriously, I seldom stay in the lines when I'm coloring.....LOL. God is the artist. I am merely the tool.
I do sincerely hope that every soul who reads this realizes that greatness comes only when one truly understands the source of greatness itself. I will never be able to express the unbridled joy that comes with doing something that makes me feel like I matter.( Plus I get paid for it-- How cool is that?!!) Being rich, beautiful, or famous certainly doesn't make you great. When you are truly fulfilled, greatness stares you straight in the eye every time you look in the mirror.
Every day on the road of life we encounter obstacles. It is my belief that our perception of these obstacles directly determines the outcome of our lives. An obstacle can only be one of two things. It is either a stepping stone or a stumbling block. Having come to terms with this concept, I am convinced that it is far easier to be happy and successful than it is to be unhappy, bitter, and angry.
I want to have as many days on this planet as possible but it gives me tremendous comfort knowing that when I die will not be all alone. Greatness will be right there waiting to show me something really, really neat! I can hardly wait.
But while I'm still here, I am a hand maker. I haven't yet made the hands of anybody really famous but I've made the hands of some really interesting people. For example, I've made the hands of space-shuttle astronauts, the air-traffic controller for the White House (coincidentally he was on-duty on 9/11 tracking the plane that hit the Pentagon), a man who makes custom pool cues for Michael Jordan, and a couple of dozen minor-league athletes, just to name a few. I am also very enthusiastic about using my work to raise funds for a variety of organizations.
Making hands, however, is not my only passion. I am an adrenaline junkie. Whether it's rollercoasters, bungee jumping, or whitewater rafting I am game for just about anything. Skydiving and hang-gliding are somewhere in my near future as well. I really enjoy cooking, being outdoors, and anything related to astronomy. There's nothing better than kayaking all day and sky-watching all night. I love to read about historical events and all things non-fiction. My favorite animals are dogs but cats are O.K. too. Most of all, I love living a purposeful life. Last but not least, girls are pretty darn cool, too!
I especially look forward to the day I get to meet you and hear your story. Until then, BE GOOD TO YOURSELF............
Dave "The Handman" Freeman
E-mail: dave@thehandman.com
Phone: 918.760.2506