Saturday, June 30, 2007

The Thing You Do


I just read this in the past 24 hours, "The way you do one thing is the way you do all things". I think the wording is incorrect but the thought is there.

I have given it a lot of thought since reading it. I have been out in the yard fighting back the weeds that have taken over the garden after years of neglect. It's meticulous work beginning with the tallest most obvious weeds, then working on the smaller more invasive kind that have spread entirely over the mulch their roots entrenched under the black ground cover hidden beneath.

Do I attack every chore, every job, every task with such methodical fervor?

I had someone helping me spruce up the house in Ft Wayne to ready it for market. They shall remain un-named. I noticed that when they did not enjoy a task they were assigned, they swept through the job as quickly as possible, regardless of the results. I found myself on the clean-up committee! The cement spread in the cracks in the driveway....I smoothed them over and made them presentable. I took the power washer and cleaned the house and driveway area after the Gutter Cleaning Incident.

I think back on many times when I had goal that I had to achieve and the work itself was mundane and mindless. How I would figure out a way to do it quickly and .... methodically....get it over with fast.

I think the gardening is Zen-like in the comfort and satisfaction it gives me.

The opportunity to allow my mind to explore while my fingers pull tiny weeds from an endless supply.

2 comments:

Gannet Girl said...

This idea -- that you do each thing in the same way, no matter the task -- is really soemthing to think about.

Lisa :-] said...

Hmmmmm... I sure hope I don't approach every task in the same way.