If you go down Main Street in Calhoun County, right before you reach the end of the street you will see a small shop on the right hand side of the street. There is just a simple wood sign over the door of the shop that says, “WOODY’S”.

Elmer Morgan owns the shop and has for a good 30 years. Elmer makes things out of wood. Real things like they used to make in the old days when people cared about there work. Elmer does not have anything in his shop on display except perhaps the latest thing he is working on.

Elmer began being called Woody when he was young. On day he was messing around in his father’s workshop and happened to pick up a piece of wood. He stood there holding it for a while, so long that his father thought he had gone into a trance or something. Finally Elmer put the piece of wood down and picked up another until he had picked up all of the wood in his father’s shop and held it for a while.

Elmer's father finally asked Elmer what he was doing and Elmer replied, "Feeling the wood to find out what it should be made into." Elmer's father laughed and asked Elmer what he thought the wood should be made into and Elmer pointed to the different peaces of wood and said, "That one over there should be a end table, this one here should be a dresser and this one over here should be part of a dining room table."

Elmer's father thought that Elmer had gone off his rocker or, at least, his trolley had jumped the track a bit but he didn't tell Elmer that. He just looked at Elmer and told him if he was so sure the wood was meant to be the things he said why didn't Elmer go ahead and make them?

Elmer thought for a while and picked up the first piece of wood and started to work with it. Elmer's father went in the house thinking, "This will show Elmer you can't know what wood should be.”

Later that afternoon Elmer's father went back to his workshop to see how Elmer was doing and there in the middle of the shop was the most beautiful end table that he had ever seen. The wood was joined perfectly and shined with a shine that almost put out his eyes.

“How did you do that?” Elmer's father asked. “I didn't,” Elmer replied.  “The wood showed me the way it wanted to be; I just did what it wanted.”

Now the years have gone by and every now and then someone will hear about Woody's or wander in off the street and ask Elmer to make something for them. Elmer will go down to the lumber yard and feel the wood until it tells him it wants to be what the person wants, and then he takes the wood back to the shop and makes it.

The things that Elmer makes are cherished by the people that buy them, as they know the work Elmer does will probably outlive those he made it for.

So, if you’re ever in Calhoun County and want something made out of wood, just drop in on Elmer and let him know. It might take him a while to make it so you can't be in a hurry, but when he finishes you will have something to be proud of. Elmer knows you will because the wood told him so.

© Copyright 11/21/2005 by Tina L. Rice