Life is like a pile of wood

Happy Labour Day to you all! 

It is so tempting to chime in with everybody else and lament the passing of summer, express wonder at the speed of time, and start rambling on about hot beverages and cozy things. But I resist the urge and tell you about a little epiphany instead, okay? ;-)

The fire ban is finally lifted, so we decided to start cleaning up the yard on Saturday. The recent storm brought a lot of branches down, and our place was a mess. We also had three huge piles of yard trimmings that had accumulated over the summer, and that we hadn't been able to burn yet due to the dry summer we've had. We never bring yard trimmings to the local dump, because that would mean missing a chance of having a campfire, and that would be a waste - I love fires.

May I direct your attention to my hand - so filthy. So were my arms and feet. I love getting dirty! ;-) 

We started in the early afternoon, not expecting to get it all done, because the task ahead of us seemed gargantuan: So much wood, just two sets of hands to do it all. 

I didn't take any pictures of the before, but picture this: Three big-ass piles of wood, comprised of five trees we had taken down months earlier, and about a gazillion* branches lying around everywhere. 

*This is a correct number. 

When you start out on a task like this, you will experience a range of emotions; the five stages of any old repetitive-cleaning-up-job, if you will: 

Glee, at finally doing this thang. (And in this case, of finally having a fire again. I'm a firebug.) 

Hang on to this feeling, because it won't last long - it is quickly followed by

Frustration, on not seeing any progress whatsoever for the first couple of hours. 

It is tempting to give up now, because it's just so annoying. If you miraculously don't give up, you will encounter 

Hopelessness, on not seeing any progress whatsoever for the first couple of hours.

Now you are just sad. You are doomed to a life like Sisyphus, forever taking branches of a pile that never gets smaller, throwing it on a fire that will burn for all eternity. 

Hang in there, friend, because the next stage is your salvation:

  

Dogged determination, and a fresh surge of tenacity to get this shit done. 

You will show these piles who's boss! Challenge accepted. You won't be defeated by a few sticks! Not even by a gazillion* of them. 

*Again, this is the accurate number. 

Congratulations if you have made it this far! You have now entered the final stage, 

Acceptance. It is a meditative, blissful state of peace and great enlightenment. Your mind will wander into new realms, realizing truths it never understood before. The journey you are on is a metaphor for life! Hard work and determination will get you to your goal! If you don't give up, you will get results! This is beautiful. This is enlightening! Why has nobody ever told you that before??

Oh wait... come to think of it, that does sound familiar. Hmm, where have I heard this before?

Work hard, be determined, don't give up... who has mentioned that again?

I think I better get started on cleaning up our basement for some more introspection to figure this out... 

Have you had any startling realizations lately? ;-)

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