Two hands -- a chisel and lathe -- come together to magically alter a spinning wooden square into perfect cylindrical form. The process is repeated, with the hand-held instrument skillfully guided to carve various deep and delicate grooves into the wood as the piece rotates at a blur. Again and again, these steps are followed until there appear four identical supports, perfectly shaped to uphold and enhance a solid Oak entertainment table. At first glance, this transformation of shape and design appears easy enough for any beginner. It is just this illusion of ease and simplicity which marks the talent of a seasoned master. After many years dedicated to an art, even the back yard hobbyist becomes an expert.

Though a Sheet Metal Contractor by profession, Earl Couch is a man impassioned by wood crafting. Most of his adult life, this zealously creative man enjoyed minor projects within the limited quarters of a one car garage. Enthralled with a vision, he imagined the day he'd own a wood working shop spacious enough to accommodate a larger selection of tools with ample work area.

Life sometimes deals strange twists of fate while dreams can materialize in peculiar fashions, and Mr. Couch is certainly an exemplary man. In their early 20's, Earl and his brother Jerry, began their careers in the sheet metal trade. The brothers worked together throughout their careers, and when Jerry ventured out on his own, Earl was right beside him. Couch Sheet Metal, Inc. opened its doors in 1972, where Earl served the company many years as Foreman and Public Relations Manager. After the tragic death of his brother in 1982, Earl and his wife Louella, assumed full ownership of Couch Sheet Metal, where he continued to work in the field as well as from the office.

After exhausting days of hard labor, Mr. Couch journeyed home a satisfied husband and father, dedicating his evenings and weekends to family and his community. Being an unselfish man, Earl rarely ventured into the solitude of his cherished hobby unless his family was otherwise engaged. He often anticipated retirement with the desire of devoting his days to the simple pleasures of wood working. Yet it seemed this luxury would elude him until 2001, when his 65th birthday came due.

Then in 1988 Earl was diagnosed with Lymphoma -- a form of cancer. Being a loyal family and business man, he continued upholding his responsibilities to home and career. In spite of a terminal disease which sends many spiraling downward into depression and lethargy, Mr. Couch refused to surrender his joy of living. Instead, a cheerful disposition and optimistic outlook have given him the fortitude to brave ten years of periodic chemotherapy treatments and their harsh, cruel side effects. His positive attitude has exemplified the staying power of a selfless life, an endearing hobby and his all-pervasive dream. He fulfilled his position as an active contractor for seven years following this stunning diagnosis, defying its forceful changes to life style and physical stamina.

According to his wife, Earl has quite a reputation for relentlessly entertaining the Oncology nurses who administer his intravenous therapy. They gather around to hear his endless renditions of corny jokes, animating an otherwise dreary facility. Just over three years ago, he finally accepted medical retirement, turning the Sheet Metal business over to his wife and eldest daughter. Rather than resigning his mind to an over-shadowing gloom, Mr. Couch seizes the opportunity to inhabit his long-awaited dream. Earl accepts his condition as a means of affording him the privilege of peaceful enjoyment. Each day is a pleasure, crafting wooden ornamental tables, accessory cabinets, candy boxes, toys and children's projects for Bible School and church camp. Handicapped only by intermittent bouts of extreme fatigue and shortness of breath, Mr. Couch often enjoys four to six hours a day in his once envisioned wood shop. A display of antique tools decorates his shed, but for practical purposes, it is modernly equipped for his craft with every power tool and hand-held gadget imaginable. Here, he lovingly creates his wooden treasures, finding personal fulfillment in giving them all away to dozens of friends, family members and charitable causes. His standing request list is endless. To accommodate his bountiful operation, Mr. and Mrs. Couch make the six hour drive once a year to a saw mill in Arkansas. With each trip, they spend hundreds of dollars for a trailer load of lumber to stock the shelves of a little factory reminiscent of Santa's work shop.

When the church Mr. and Mrs. Couch attend expanded the structure, Earl generously donated his time, talent and material to the project. Upon completion, he had meticulously enhanced the church's interior with his own original design crafted from contrasting Oak and Walnut lumbers. The more than 30 year old stained glass windows of the church have recently been replaced, and again, Earl donated his energy and skill to crafting the wooden encasements for the new windows.

Since Earl's early retirement in 1995, his lively little wood shop has been humming every day of the week, with exception only to a temporary set back last year. Due to pulmonary problems initiated by Chemotherapy, Mr. Couch utilized face masks to inhibit wood dust from entering his lungs. This precaution was ineffective when exposure to Mahogany instigated severe breathing difficulties, putting him in the hospital for intense respiratory treatment. Upon release, the attending physician eluded to the possibility of Earl abandoning his wood working hobby. Determined to forge ahead, Mr. Couch implemented an intricate vacuum system designed to eradicate all wood dust from his shop. During the many years as a Sheet Metal Contractor, his business specialized in factory maintenance. Their task was to engineer and upgrade countless safety mechanisms for these national and international corporations. The majority of these elaborate projects were Earl's own designs, which are now utilized by such global corporations as Mobil Chemical and TDK Magnetics. Relying on his professional experience, personal expertise and various designs detailed in shop magazines, Mr. Couch integrated several techniques. The result was a highly effective exhaust unit incorporated into his personal wood shop. This sophisticated system is directly wired to each saw, lathe, and sander. A flip of a switch operates both tool and vacuum simultaneously, keeping work shop -- and lungs -- dust free. Though Mahogany is strictly off-limits and Walnut is used in lesser quantities, this vacuum operated exhaust system allows him to breath easy while enjoying his hobby.

The many toxic chemicals composing chemotherapy drugs are taking their uncaring toll on his body, but Earl remains in optimistic control of his attitude. When he has a down day, which is how he refers to being sick, he always says he'll be better tomorrow. A once strong and vibrant man of 170 pounds, he now struggles to maintain a weight of 130. His heart, lungs, kidneys, liver and spleen have all been adversely effected, not by the cancer but by its treatment. He frequently suffers shortness of breath and lives with constant pain, yet he never complains. When asked how he's doing, he smiles and responds, "I can't remember a time I've been better." He isn't able to walk long distances anymore, yet the influence of his disposition is far-reaching, inspiring everyone he comes in contact with. Like the enduring stability of his original wood pieces, Mr. Couch has carved a design for living which upholds him through any calamity. Though his hands now tremble involuntarily, no one would ever know by the precise and intricate details of his crafted woodwork.

Mr. Couch savors the gift of life just as if he were in perfect health, living each day to the fullest of his ability. He has long since defied the odds of the average cancer patient and his Oncologist says attitude is everything. I heard those very words throughout my adolescence when I'd become rebellious, selfish, or cynical. "You're as happy as you make up your mind to be" echoes in the recesses of my memory. I couldn't understand how it was in my power to be happy when there were so many circumstances which upset me. I now realize my focus was all wrong. I have since learned a great deal about acceptance, positive determination, and the will to live and find satisfaction in spite of any circumstance. Through this man's example, I have witnessed that happiness truly is an inside job. I count myself blessed indeed, to call Mr. Couch my dad.