There is something about making beaded jewelry that almost borders on meditation. I've been watching a PBS series called World on a String that shows how beads are used all over the world for art, prayer, meditation, shamanism, trade, and various other things. As I sit there stringing beads onto wire, I think about where they came from and the people that made them. I wonder how far they have traveled and where they will end up after I finish the jewelry. Where will it be in 100 years when I am gone? I think about the small villages that stave off starvation by making and selling beads or beaded items. I follow in the footsteps of ancient peoples. Humans, for all their destructiveness, also have a side that strives to add beauty to even the most utiliterian objects.