Step back, take another look, remind yourself
Yesterday Wil Wheaton, fourth Earl of Pasadena, posted this message about Spring here in Pasadena. His cheerful disposition reminded me that I should probably have more of a cheerful disposition; sometimes I’m so wrapped up in the shit I’m dealing with that I forget to step back and appreciate what I have right in front of me.
I’ve been living in a house that I’ve been remodeling from a dump into, hopefully, a work of art. It’s been cripplingly expensive, miserably unhappy, and immensely difficult to work on. Essentially, I’ve done all the remodeling alone with my brother without any help, including plumbing, electrical, structural, woodworking, tile-laying … and landscaping.
And landscaping must surely be one of the most rewarding. I’ve planted salvias, vines, lavenders, hibiscus, tons of roses, and on and on, and it’s unspeakably gratifying to see a plant you’ve planted and nurtured grow and mature into something truly spectacular.
But I can lose sight of that. It’s been such a royal pain in the ass living through this project, and it’s so often jeopardized so many other aspects of my life, that I can lose sight of what I’ve accomplished here. So it’s a nice thing to have my consciousness jogged a bit now and again, so I can step back and look at the fruits of my labors and think, “yeah, I fucking planted that.”
(click image to biggify lots)
And the hummingbirds love me.