The Empty Rack

I’ve talked before about baby steps and thinking outside the box. I believe anybody can accomplish great things if they just have the right mind set.

I had a job to do today. A big job. And I got it done. Just as I envisioned it and within the time frame I planned for it. In addition, much to my surprise, my breathing stayed steady and my heart rate didn’t go up. At least not in an ‘I’m going to die way’.

I needed to unload 60 bales of hay and stack it neatly in my barn.

Step one was figuring out how to get the top bales to the area I wanted to get them there without me having to get on and off the rack. So, I used the extension ladder and made a sort of conveyer system. It worked like a charm. I could send 5 or 6 bales down it before having to get off the rack and stack.

And as the rows went up, so did the ladder, which meant I could even send the bales to the level I needed them out without much lifting. I think I did good.

As the rack level came down I found it easier to remove the ladder and just work from the ground. I actually had fun being outdoors on such a pretty day and getting to spend time in my barn.

The barn is special to me. One of my earliest memories was sitting on the front porch with my father. I think I had to be four years old. And I begged him for a horse. He told me that if I built the barn, he would buy me the horse.

The next day I looked every where for something I could use to build my barn. I remember very clearly dragging every cardboard box I could find to the back yard and working to stack them into something my four-year-old brain could recognize as a barn.

I also remember, very clearly, running into the house to tell Dad that I had the barn. My Mom and Dad laughed so hard. I remember it to this day. I was crushed. But almost 40 years later I stood in the middle of my barn, looking at bright, new box stalls, and had a mental conversation with my Dad. I so hope he heard me because I wanted so much to share that barn with him. I felt him with me that day.

I didn’t intend to write about that when I started this blog. I meant to talk about big jobs, and finding a way to get the job done by breaking it into smaller increments, and thinking outside the box to figure out a way to make the job easier.

I guess in addition to thinking outside the box, and breaking the project down in to sizable increments, I might add timing to the equation. That little 4-year-old girl didn’t have a hope of building a barn, even though she tried.

But she didn’t give up. She kept her goal in sight and eventually, she accomplished what she first dreamed of doing.

My horses are gone now. My dreams have changed. They haven’t faded. In fact they drive me with a force that is often uncomfortable. It’s sort of reassuring to know that age brings it own rewards. The trick is to figure out a way to get things done. Don’t box yourself into a way of doing something that doesn’t work. And to take your time and do it right.

I had a good morning. It brought back wonderful memories. And I realize that the life-style changes I’ve made during the last year are good ones. I’m energized to continue on my journey.

The Empty Rack

Nicely stacked.