What would you like to talk about? I’ll talk about anything
November 9th 2021 - By Rex Hohlbein
There's nothing like a good conversation. One where your curiosity wakes up and you’re on the edge of your seat full of new questions. Topics that stretch your brain and heart, open you, and have you connecting and smiling deeply with the person across from you. Time spent with Rellik is like that for me.
Rellik is White Mountain Apache along with some Scottish, Irish and Spanish. He’s 36 years old, plays over 30 musical instruments, and among many other things, is learning on his own to be a blacksmith. Oh yes, one last thing, he’s homeless.
He’s been homeless for over 17 years. Despite a mountain of adversity he’s managed to remain true to himself, no small thing living on the streets. For the last six years I’ve come to know what a good man he is. I’ve seen his generosity in how he shares freely of himself. I’ve seen his strength in how he responds when times are difficult, like when his tent has been robbed and he’s lost everything, including his musical instruments. I’ve also seen his peacefulness when people deliver unfair judgment on the homeless and him. Yes, he’s a really goodGOOD man.
Rellik is keeping his eyes on the prize. He wants to get into stable housing. He wants to get a shop for his blacksmithing. He wants his life to move forward.
Two years ago Rellik decided to become a blacksmith. To be honest, without him seeing it, I rolled my eyes. A forge in a tent, hmmm, not really meant to go together. Several months later he invited me to come for a visit. When I pulled back the tent flap to step inside a wall of heat hit me. Over the freeway traffic and the forge fire noise, Rellik yelled, “Come on in, sit down on that stump.” It’s all I could do as there was no other available space. The rest of the floor area was taken up by the propane forge, an anvil, a five gallon bucket of oil, tools, scrap steel, and a fire extinguisher.
Rellik had heavy garden gloves on. With giant grabber-type pliers he pulled a hot bright orange piece of metal out of the forge, put it on the anvil that was right in front of me, and began beating on it with a small sledge hammer. I think my mouth was still wide open. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing!
While Rellik worked I tried to take everything in. It was all new for me. I noticed the wood platform he had built to elevate and support the forge. It was badly burned. The tent roof, several feet above, was shriveled and burnt. I thought, this is amazing, and at the same time, this is crazy! A few more rounds of heating the metal and again beating on it Rellik had me watch as he dunked the metal piece into the 5-gallon bucket, which was a third full of oil. A fireball emerged. We both smiled bigBIG!! It felt like we had just discovered magic!
Fast forward two years. Rellik has been working tirelessly at learning his trade. YouTube videos along with hours and hours at the forge. He now has two large (10) person tents. One to live in and the other to work in. A few days ago he told me, “I picked up my business cards!” It made my whole body smile for him!!! You did it Rellik, you made it happen!
Rellik is keeping his eyes on the prize. He wants to get into stable housing. He wants to get a shop for his blacksmithing. He wants his life to move forward.
As a community, let’s open some doors of opportunity for Rellik!
His business is called, TREE OF LIFE FORGE.
IF you can, please donate tools.
IF you can, please donate scrap steel.
IF you can, please donate propane fuel.
IF you can, please commission Rellik to make something for you or someone you LOVE.
You can contact Rex 206-330-1142 with any questions. You can also contact Rellik directly at 206-519-1056 or email him at clawhammer2003@gmail.com.
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