Every year the Foxfire class goes to the Foxfire Museum and Heritage Center to take the tour with Barry through the museum. It introduces new Foxfire students to the history behind what we do and reminds the returning students why what we do is important. It’s usually a generally good time. We eat pizza, learn about Appalachian history, and get to spend time with each other outside of the classroom.

This year was my second time going to the museum and taking the tour, and I had never seen Barry make anything with his blacksmithing skills. I thought the whole ordeal was pretty neat. He took a piece of iron, got it really hot, and then shaped it into this cute little hook. I thought, “Wow. That’s quite practical. What a useful thing to know how to do.” Before he started making the hook, he said to all of us watching him, “Now, pay attention, because I’m going to give you a test about how to do this once we’re done.” We all laughed because we knew he wasn’t going to give us a test. Why would he let teenagers handle hot iron and heavy tools? I certainly wouldn’t. However, my skepticism led me into quite the situation, because at the end he said, “Okay. Time for the test.” Then, he pointed at me and said, “You. Come make this hook for me.” I thought he was kidding. He was not kidding.

I had 3 reasons for being slightly terrified about making this iron hook. 1) I have no hand-eye coordination and knew that I would probably either take one of his fingers off or smash one of mine into pieces. 2) The metal was really hot, and I knew that I would find some way to send someone to the emergency room because of it. 3) The pure embarrassment and horror of doing either 1 or 2 would have been enough for me to quit Foxfire and never return.

Then, he pointed at me and said, “You. Come make this hook for me.” I thought he was kidding. He was not kidding.

However, if Foxfire has taught me anything, it has taught me that we have to be willing to do things we never thought we would have to do either to write a good article or get a good picture. So, of course, I went and I attempted to make this iron hook. Thankfully, no one was burned, I still have all ten fingers, and the pictures came out well. The hook now sits on a shelf in my room.

I could not tell you how to make an iron hook using a blacksmithing method, but that honestly is not why it’s cool or important. The hook will always be a reminder of why Foxfire is important and just how much it has impacted my life. Foxfire has put me in multiple tough situations either because of deadlines or awkward interviews or dealing with problems that always seem to arise at the worst possible moments. However, Foxfire students always manage to come out the other side with a magazine in one hand and a camera with a bunch of really great photographs in the other. Foxfire has given me a community, transferable skills, and I guess, a hook. I couldn’t ask for more than that.

~ Halle Fowler
Halle is a senior editor for The Foxfire Magazine and has been in the program for 2 years. She will be attending Brown University in the fall and hopes to study history. Outside of Foxfire, Halle is the Drum Major of her high school’s marching band and captain of the varsity soccer team.