Nailing it down

I learned a good lesson from my Grandson Logan this weekend: the importance of nailing it down.


Logan was learning how to pound in nails with a small hammer at my kitchen table yesterday. He was introduced to this activity at home with his "kid friendly" wood and plastic tools. But at my house, he wanted the real thing. We took out the hammer, some nails and tape measure. He placed his tools right beside his work area, all lined up and ready to go. For about an hour, he practiced pounding in nails with "real tools" into a round of wood from my favorite box elder tree in Dad's backyard. The branch had fallen down over the summer and Damon cut it up for me so I could use the pieces for various art projects.


Logan pounded in a nail that was longer than the round of wood, and it could not be pounded any further once it got to the bottom of the round. Logan was very insistent on pounding the nail all the way into the block of wood and was not happy that the long nail did not do what it was supposed to do. I explained to him why the nail could not be pounded in any further and showed him the point of the nail on the bottom of the block. Logan understood the explanation, but did not like the fact that the nail could not be nailed down into the wood. I could see that Logan was frustrated, but also saw that the next nail he chose was a smaller one...a nail that could be nailed down into the wood. After he pounded that nail into the wood, Logan was satisfied once again.


So, how does this relate to me in my living? I need to start nailing things down. I have been getting frustrated with all the half-finished projects around my house: collage pictures collected and waiting, art materials gathered but not put away, a half-moved office partly in the living room and partly in the spare bedroom, two porches filling up with stuff. All these projects (nails) are sitting around waiting to be hammered into the wood (house.)


For some time now, I have just been avoiding these projects and letting the frustrations build within myself. Rationalization has taken over my thoughts; I find myself thinking, "I can't do this project until that one is done and that one cannot be started because I have to make room on the porch and it is too cold to work out there...and on and on." But, when I try to find something, I am instantly frustrated.


Now, today, I will listen to the little Logan lesson: nail it down. I will choose the little nails (projects.) The bigger projects that can't be contained in my house, can be avoided for now. All the little projects can be nailed down all the way and finished.