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August 4, 2004 I am a world-class procrastinator. Every time this backfires on me, I hope I’ve learned my lesson, but I never have. I guess some lessons just can’t be learned, no matter how many times they are taught. A couple years ago I started planting morning glories along the side of my trailer, always intending to run something along the siding for them to climb on. But nothing ever got put up, and they ended up a tangled mat across the small flower garden. This year was no different, only, today I finally had a “just do it!” moment and ran some twine along the siding. Then came the hard part—running them up to the twine. Over half a season has passed, and they were a tangled carpet smothering the flowers beneath. I sat on the ground for hours and painstakingly untangled each and every vine. And I do mean hours. And, I’m pleased to say, I did not break off a one, no matter how frustrated I was and how tempting it became. It was my own fault for putting off a five-minute chore! When I finished, I was so inspired I weeded the entire garden. Well, it’s the best way I know to take out my frustrations! I love to weed—I find it deeply satisfying, and these days I have plenty of frustrations to work out. There are way too many things I don’t seem to have control over in my life these days, but I can have a weed-free garden! (I was going to say a showplace garden, but one of my frustrations is how poorly my flowers are doing this year.) So many people consider weeding the garden to be a chore, but I have always enjoyed it. There’s something so satisfying about turning a garden into someplace neat while getting thoroughly grubby. It feels good to clear out the nutrient-grabbing weeds from around the little plants. But untwining tangled morning glories? That is a chore! Have I learned my lesson yet? Oh, probably not. But now the twine and nails are in place, so if I need to be taught a lesson next year, it will have to be by something other than the morning glories! |