Every home has them — and no, I’m not talking about boxes of Kraft Dinner.
I’m talking about projects!
I know mine does. I thought I’d share a few of them with you today to see if I can shame myself into getting at them and getting them done.
Top of the list is the Eaton’s clock. Yes, the one everyone met in the magnificent old Eaton’s Store. For those of you new to town, Eaton’s stood where the MTS Centre now stands.
The dear old injured clock now sits high and dry on a shelf in my shed, waiting for me to get two sides made to replace the ones damaged in a forklift mishap during removal. Once I find a business that can form two sides by copying one of the existing healthy ones and I recreate a clock face on each, it will be ready for public viewing, the present plan being to hang it in the spectacular Jim’s Vintage Garages Museum in Headingley.
Laurie, get on that — and I mean now!
The next project on the list is to finish reassembling my 1929 Dodge DA to roadworthy condition. It’s so close to being there.
Its mechanical, interior and body are all ready to go — I just have to put back on what I took off to get the head gasket redone.
But you know projects. There’s a minefield of those "round tuits" (as in get around to it) between you and doing what needs to be done, the big "hands-on move" that actually results in true change and progress.
I find myself, despite the best of intentions, continually getting around to doing something else first, like sitting in my chair and watching NCIS (probably even a rerun that I’ve seen before), ahead of getting to what really needs to be done.
Projects require self discipline. Where can one buy a load of that? Oh, the shame of procrastination — it’s such a wicked word.
I do get a lot done, but the clock, the car and a few other projects have been sitting too long. When the word "years" comes into that, you know you’re being very, very bad. I’m guilty! Maybe this public confession will shame me into taking action, but I doubt it.
I mean I am guilty, but I don’t feel guilty, so there’s the rub. The clock has to be done and put up for display before everyone who has memories of it dies. That should be motivation enough, right? But, well... you know...
Thank goodness we are not alone in our misery. I posted a "who has a project they are lollygagging on" query on Facebook and got a number of "confessions." Here are a couple:
Susanne McCrea writes, "I have a beautiful chaise lounge that needs stuffing and recovering. I love the craftsmanship of the frame. I promised myself I’d learn how to do it myself because I can’t afford to have it professionally done. It’s been sitting in my shed for about eight years! Can’t bring myself to throw it out!"
Gloria Turner says, "I have been writing a book on my ancestry for the past seven to eight years. I find many reasons why I have no time to sit down at the computer and do it. I have even taken a trip to England to visit our farm that dates back to the 1600’s. Help!"
See?
Graham Shaw’s offering: "My career as a Canadian rock icon?" I think it’s doing just fine.
There’s also the sorting through and getting rid of stuff you held on to just to preserve, but for which you have no use — like an old shipping trunk or two.
Sure, one option is to sell them. But then you have to determine a value, advertise them and deal with the general possibly purchasing public, sometimes wading through a lot of low-balling tire kickers to find just the right buyer. Oh, what a pain that can be.
And the no-shows! They’re the most frustrating. A pox on all who inflict that inconsiderate behaviour on others — two poxes even. It’s so rude!
A suggestion: maybe we should form a volunteer club — call it "Pitter Patter" — in which like the old barn building bees, we gather at someone’s house and spend the day helping them get whatever project they’re stalled at back on the rails, even if it’s a general decluttering of the house and a yard clean up. Since it’s my idea, I’m first!
Yeah, right. What are we really going to do about all of this? Nothing.
All in favour? So moved.
Comments or feedback, love to hear from you!
lmustard1948@gmail.com
