Bob the Squirrel

What my garage looked like two paint jobs ago in a galaxy far, far away.

Spent a nice chunk of my Saturday painting the garage.  I last painted it in 2009… and I have fond memories of that go-around.  It’s not just open the can, dip the brush, spread and repeat.  Oh no.  This job requires scraping.  Lots of scraping.  The only reason I’m painting is because the last layer of paint is peeling off.  It’s paint on wood… it happens.

You can’t paint over peeling paint… defeats the whole purpose.  You must scrape the offending layer off leaving a nice, new-ish surface for your application.  I may not know a lot, but I do know that.

I have to say, the scraping was a lot easier seven years ago.  I had to borrow a large 10 ft. ladder to get the upper areas… It was the same wooden ladder that I borrowed seven years ago.  Neither one of us aged very well.  Several factors were in play – the ladder was older, the ground was less level, I was older and possibly a littler heavier.  All that to tell you this: I was particularly scared out of my mind scraping paint 8 feet off the ground.  It felt like 800 feet.  I don’t remember being that scared in 2009.

It took me a few hours, but I got the scraping and painting all done.

I did not document the process with my iPhone… as a culture we’re so eager to do.  I’ve done my fair share of that… I chose to keep this one in my head.  I chose to experience the process instead of documenting the process.  It probably went a little faster because of that.

Do we just experience anything anymore?  It has become almost an involuntary reflex to pull out the phone when something in front of you betrays the margin slightly.  What the hell is that?  I do it too.  I still do it.  I also catch myself and stop it too.

Perfect example – Lauren getting her black belt.  She was up on that stage with her class, experiencing a moment, getting the payoff from years of hard work and dedication.  And there was me, proud and weepy in the audience… watching her moment with my iPhone directly in my line of sight.  I wasn’t the only audience member with an obstructed view.  Moms, dads, uncles, aunts, brothers and sisters all watching their loved ones through a screen… despite them being only 2o ft. away.  I didn’t realize it at the time, it was only after I understood.

I was more concerned with focus and framing than I was with my little girl’s big moment.  I got some good images, but I missed i too.

Yes, we can go back and remember.  But will we remember the moment or the framing of the moment?

By the way… the garage looks good… take my word for it… pictures aren’t always necessary.