Opus

A family friend told me about Opus 40 when I was in my early twenties. I finally made the trip to Saugerties last week. It only took about twenty-five years to get there.

Twenty-five years is slightly more than half my life. I’ve worked on a lot of projects during that time, all over Maine and occasionally farther afield. But what if I’d spent those same twenty-five years working on one project? That’s essentially what Harvey Fite did. And then some. When he began Opus 40 in 1939, he estimated it would take forty years to complete.

Forty years on the same project.

It’s a romantic idea, dedicating yourself to a single undertaking. A life’s work in the most literal sense. Like a young woman entering a monastery, knowing she’ll never leave. Harvey’s commitment was as monumental as the work itself.

I’m wired a little differently. Just recently, projects have taken me to an island in Penobscot Bay, the Lakes Region, the western Maine mountains, and my own backyard. Different people. Different stone. Different problems to solve. And, perhaps most importantly, different coffee shops. I could probably monetize my internal map of where to get a good coffee and a breakfast sandwich.

I’d like to work with stone for forty years. I’m on track if my body holds up. I don’t feel the urge to build one massive, lifelong work. But I’m grateful Harvey did.

A few friends were part of the recent restoration work at Opus 40. It was nice to finally see their handiwork in person.