When you pay attention

"Whatever you do don't staple this cord"
His finger points to a tiny almost thread like cord that is coming from the garage door opener. It's one of the moments you won't forget and hold with you like a secret message your carrying that will bring the answer to world peace. I won't staple that cord with the red line I say to myself.

At the end of the day, while the garage is fully insulated and the tyvek is stapled to the ceiling I find that when I push the garage door button it doesn't work. I had stapled the cord.


Moments like these I think two things. 1. Maybe I really shouldn't be responsible for these kinds of things...simple things that lead me to also believe that maybe I just shouldn't do this at all...and 2. If Nate fixes it, which he will because he can fix anything this will be the reason why I love carpentry so much and why I am so willing to write about it because like everything in life..maybe everything can be fixed or at least turned into something new.

When I say that everyone should be a carpenter at least once in their life it's not like I'm saying stop everything your doing now, quit your job, work with your hands everyday and feel the liberation what I'm really saying that even if you do it every now and then for say your example your home or a friends home you'll start to realize a lot of things about yourself and a lot of things that tie into everyday life.

When ever I begin to talk about my job to people most of the times they look at me with these glassy eyes. The idea of not looking at a computer all day and being outside in the nature of the great mother heads the strangest of jealousy. Sometimes I laugh about this in secret sarcasm when I'm out in degree temps with full work gear on and I'm still cold. I can't feel my finger tips, I have to pee still but work, and my toes have been numb for so long that I have forgotten what it feels like to even wiggle a toe. This isn't awesome and it down right sucks I begin to think while feeling like I'm going to burst into tears from all the pain. What you begin to learn is that you still work and you still make it through. Even though its the absolute worst working condition you can think of it's the most amazing rush of feeling when your done, taking off all your gear and warming up. You have made it and just like most things in life once you get through the hurdle it's all down hill from there.

The idea of beauty changes, that is it doesn't stop at a picture card of a beautiful landscape or a beautiful person. In fact, I can't even think of what a clean person looks like most of the time. I don't even hear a beautiful sentence considering the guys mainly talk about farting at least once a day (which is okay). But certain things happen that make you think, wow that is probably the most meaningful thing I have seen all week being the composition in an attic that was set up just right or when it's snowing and foggy and the sun is trying to shine through.

A last reason I think while Nate has pulled the three places where I stapled the wire, cut the tube to retie the cord back together I watch the switch's green light turn on. "Yes! Its on"
the garage moves up and down and we watch its every move completely through the whole action.
"well, you only hit it in three spots"
I sigh and like everything that I've broken or screwed up the great thing about it is that everything can be fixed. Nothing is doomed forever. And just like life whatever situation comes your way there is always a way to fix it. It's all really a matter of perception.

I guess today even though it's boring, its hard, it's good I'm really grateful I have my job.