How does that old adage go, the spirit is willing…? But an unrelenting spirit can bring a host of problems of its own. At times, I forget that there are certain realities that I should take into consideration before I tackle a home improvement project; such as the fact I am in my mid-50’s and that I am an accountant, have been for more than a decade, and that I am no longer in construction.
Every once in a while my mind will trick my body into tackling a chore that it shouldn’t. In a throwback to the good old days, I tell myself, partly out of arrogance and partly out of ignorance, “I can fix this!” So, I dust off the tool belt, make any needed adjustments, and jump in as if I were much, much younger and actually still have the skills and dexterity to successfully complete the project. In the past, sheer determination and willpower could trump talent and ability, but no more.
In retrospect, I still do some things that most reasonable people would consider to be problematic. Our home is not that old, only about 11-years or so, but it is at the stage that repairs are needed beyond what would be considered cosmetic. Specifically, the wood on our deck is beginning to need some attention due to use and the elements. After all, wood rots over time no matter what it was treated with. We noticed that one of our railings was loose, but after further investigation we noticed that where the railing was attached to the deck resembled wood pulp. The bottom of the stringer, to which the railing was attached, has been buried in the dirt for about 11-years, and it did what would be expected; it rotted. Reminiscent of Bob the Builder, “I can fix this!” It never occurred to me to hire a contractor.
In the typical DIY fashion, I went to Lowe’s to buy the material before I took the stairs apart and understood the scope of the project. After about an hour of methodically disassembling the stairs, I determined that more wood was bad than I had anticipated. Since we had company coming on Sunday, and stairs down from the deck to the pool would be nice, I had the option to put the stairs back together and regroup for another day. “I can fix this…” is all I could process. 12-hours after I started, I was tired, and the stairs were only partially reassembled. My unrelenting spirit still wanted to finish, but my body gave out about an hour earlier. Funny how that worked out.
It wasn’t my lack of motivation that stood in the way, it was the depletion of energy. I have come to accept and embrace the tension between the willing spirit and the able body these past few years; while it is my desire to give preference to the prodding of an unrelenting spirit, I need to give reasonable consideration to the ability of the body. This is new for me and I don’t really like the fact that I, at times, need to be Al the Accountant and not Bob the Builder.
The worst of this project is behind me, and yes “I can fix it”, it just going to take more than one day, and that okay as well. In all likelihood, it probably should have anyway. Maybe, just maybe I resolved the conflict between a willing spirit and an able body. Maybe, but only time will tell. Like I said, I have been known to tackle a project or two most reasonable people would consider problematic.
Thanks for reading, liking and sharing
Al and his faithful sidekick Ivy the wonder pup.