Projects

Daily writing prompt
What have you been working on?

Removing an old shed, with attached dog house. We rented a dumpster, and tore the whole structure down last week. So now we have to prepare a gravel pad for the new one, which will be arriving in pieces and assembled in one day, sometime in the next few weeks.

I also saved some of the 2x4s from the shed, which I hope to use to build a roll-around cart for a couple of tools that need to come off the workbench.

Nothing of great significance– no treatise on world peace or anything like that– but something we’ve been talking about doing for a while.

Impediment

Daily writing prompt
What’s something most people don’t know about you?

I’ve never had a surplus of self-confidence. I assume this is apparent to the astute observer or anyone who’s gotten to know me somewhat well. It’s not that I can’t function, or even summon the chutzpah to tackle some challenge, or project, but I’ve always had to deal with a sense of inferiority or some such thing. The way this manifests itself is in my hesitancy to try anything at which I might fail, for fear of looking impotent and stupid, for fear of being called out for not knowing something that should somehow have been common knowledge by now.

There often seems to be some mountain to climb.

A Mixed Bag

Daily writing prompt
Do lazy days make you feel rested or unproductive?

Most days it’s the latter. Now that I’m retired, I try to convince myself that I’ve somehow earned some lazy days, but even when that works, there’s still a part of me that feels like I should be more gainfully engaged in… something. Whether it’s irony or just guilt, most lazy days are not very satisfying, and the ones that are usually are only parts of a day, after a period of busyness and exertion– a deserved reward, I guess.

More Than Glitz and Glamour

Daily writing prompt
When you think of the word “successful,” who’s the first person that comes to mind and why?

It wasn’t Elon Musk or Donald Trump. Without thinking very long, the first name that came to mind was Warren Buffett. I don’t know much about him, but from what I’ve seen and heard, he seems like a pretty practical guy. Not flashy, but sensible and wise.

With a bit more deliberation, I am thinking about anyone who has felt purposeful or called, had or has a certain drive or vision, and sees it to completion. Success is often tied to money, but there are other ways to measure it: self-satisfaction, goals reached, improving lives, relieving suffering, overcoming challenges and doubt.

Ignominious and Pathetic

Maybe next year, Donald.

Your perennial efforts at securing a Nobel Peace Prize will have to wait until at least 2026. But don’t give up! If things keep going the way they’re going, maybe by this time next year you will have scratched enough backs, remembered enough previous favors, and dabbled in delusion and outright lying often enough to have stopped every major and minor conflict anywhere in the world. And someone will have compiled a list of these achievements so the folks on the committee have a quick reference tool and will be duly impressed by all the great work you’ve been doing. Single-handedly, no less. The Jeffrey Epstein files will be a faded memory.

Trouble is, there will be people who actually understand the difficulty of protracted, historically messy and ferocious differences of opinion, and who will express doubt about the ease with which you operate and claim victory. There will be questions concerning an actual framework for sustainable peace with long-term provisions. And of course, there will be consideration of the source—you. Your biggest detriment will always be you, and the mystifyingly loyal mouthpieces groveling at your feet. Because you’re a bombastic, sniveling crybaby who needs to be constantly stroked and fed and only sees dollar signs.

And maybe your secrets are catching up with you.

Peace? Real peace? You couldn’t care less about it. You have no idea what it is or how to achieve it. You just want to grab the headlines and the bling, and to wave it all in President Obama’s face.

All this while the country you’re supposed to be leading and inspiring rots in place. Because of you. On your watch, and that of the deceived and delusional brain trust propping you up.

Every Day is Trash Day

We’ve joined the masses who have rented a dumpster and contributed some poundage to the local landfill. I’ll admit that it’s a somewhat guilt-ridden experience, but it’s also kind of freeing—no bagging everything up and waiting for trash day. You just throw it in the dumpster—pieces of the shed you’re tearing down, contents of the shed you’re tearing down, other junk you’ve kept that you didn’t know what to do with.

Everything goes. Well, except those little Coleman propane canisters you’ve had sitting around forever, rusting away. Apparently, they’re as toxic as uranium.

Civil-minded

Daily writing prompt
What makes a good neighbor?

Good question. I think maybe there are different levels of neighbor. Some keep to themselves, others are more outgoing. For me, it’s someone who stops to say hi and chat, someone who exerts a bit of effort to maintain their property, who respects boundary lines but isn’t necessarily a stickler about it.

A good neighbor lets you borrow a tool if the need exists. They have a sense of decorum when it comes to making noise, they keep an eye on the place when you’re away, pick up the mail, etc..

In general, someone who’s cordial and considerate.

Solid

Daily writing prompt
What principles define how you live?

Be loyal, be kind, be willing to lend a hand, find a way to respond when people in power are acting like idiots. Find courage, fight fear. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.

The NRSV version of Romans 12, particularly verses 9-13, sums it up pretty well. I don’t know what to make of the church anymore, but Paul’s words here still strike a chord.

Memories

Daily writing prompt
What have you been putting off doing? Why?

The first thing to come to mind is digitizing the collection of 35mm slides and negatives we have. There’s quite an accumulation, it’s a painstaking process, and I can see myself getting easily sidetracked by the sleeves of prints mixed in– I’d be sitting there looking at those instead of tending to business. And we currently don’t have the piece of equipment needed for the transfer.

It’s a project worth doing, and also one easily ignored. But it’s not like my schedule is packed…