UncommonPromise

The old wood fishing boats make a dull knocking sound as they bump together alongside the dock. Curious fishermen gather around as nets and gear drag across the parched wood planks while ordinary conversation ceases. The waves too, momentarily stop lapping the boat hulls as the treasure is carefully lifted from its resting place and into the sun. Rescued from deep beneath the sea, there is a moment of timeless reflection for everyone watching as they realize that pieces of their own lives have been recovered. Their ancestors with a rich history have come for a visit in the form of this crusty ancient relic—an urn that holds much more than the salty brine inside.



We took a big chance that year, agreeing to work on the restoration of an old conservation laboratory on the Italian island of Elba. It proved to be much more than a mere work engagement. By diving into an unfamiliar situation, we were swallowed up in our own history with relics to restore. Risk has a way of surfacing the hidden parts of ourselves. Working with the conservation laboratory, lifting calcified fragments from the sea, took us to our own water’s edge where we took a deep breath and dove in. We became immersed in a much larger story, and came back forever changed. We learned how to move from the ordinary to the extraordinary by revealing our own forgotten stories, by chipping away the crusty effects of countless years beneath the sea.

Inspired by the conservation work of SACI on the island of Elba, Italy

You may want to visit our other websites:

Uncommon Promise Video channel

Under the Tuscan Thumb Blog

The UP Side Lowdown by Cheryl