From The Storyteller
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Sept.24, 2018, Fence
The sweat is pouring off me as I finish applying the last red paint to the fence. You would think 98 degrees and 87% humidity would make fence maintenance a “do it later” job. Unfortunately, “now” is later. My story begins with the fact that I have moved 34 times since high school. Many were “Do it yourself” (DIY) moves made with family and friends, and others had professional movers doing the hard work. Note: DIY wisdom - Wait on the chicken and beer until all lifting and carrying is finished. As you might guess, our moving experiences have varied a lot, yet there is one thing that has reoccurred with every move. When a move is about to happen our “Do it later” projects are instantly transformed into “Do it now” projects. Example: As we prepared to move from Harlingen to Lubbock, the fence we had been talking about painting for several years, suddenly needed to be painted “Now.” Each move has had its own unique “Now” projects. They included everything from replacing doorbell batteries and painting the scuff marks on walls, to carpet cleaning and tree trimming. Every time a move happened Elaine and I would find ourselves taking a close look at the things “we just lived with.” Phrases like, “I’ll get to it when I have time” cease to work, and magically “later” becomes “now.” The projects "gets dusty" because they’re the stuff I really don’t want to do. Priorities like work, family, and taking care of the “now” stuff easily expand to include things like naps, and trips to the bookstore. I confess, I’m an expert at putting off stuff I don’t want to do, until the last possible moment. 98 degrees and 87% humidity – ugh. Moral: There is a price to pay for delay. |