It's 2026... the first real workday in this household... Christmas wonderfulness has, mostly, been packed away and I am formulating my goals for this year.
For the past three and a half years, I have been living in a town, not a city, per se. It is very difficult to find 'work that pays' in a new location. So far, I have not found it.
So, what have I done with my time here?
Unpaid work, of course! That I have been doing since the age of 17.
Now, before anyone tries to devalue 'unpaid work,' let me tell you what kind of projects I have completed.
Do you know the saying, "Grow where you're planted?"
I certainly have. I brought my garden box to this property and started growing immediately. Food... always necessary!
What I really moved here for was, a man who would help me with my projects. A helping hand, someone to share the day with and enjoy the completed projects.
What did 'we' build in our project bonding?
A gazebo! I love my lovely garden room. It is a very successful project. It was completed in September of 2023 or 2024... I'll check my journal. Can we use the term elaborate for a gazebo? Well, it certainly is adequate.
What was the most important component of this budding relationship that 'got the project done,' so to speak? Dare I say respect? How about something old- fashioned, like politeness? In the past, not so distant, elaborate politeness was the social order of the day. This was, actually, a good thing. One day, a neighbour mentioned, to me, that she had been listening to us communicating during our summer- long project and she was quite impressed with how respectfully we communicated, even during stressful steps in the building of this structure.
With this compliment, I thought, whew, we were being evaluated and we passed the test.
There are times when evaluation, with this result, is encouraging.
Unrelenting evaluation, from bosses, co- workers, or family would not be helpful or constructive but this was a good conversation.
The purpose of politeness is... productivity, in any work- a- day setting... paid work or unpaid work, the results will be the same. Politeness will keep a project going, insults will grind a project to a swift halt.
A total bathroom renovation was also completed, with my 'heading up the project' skills... of which my husband was more than willing to relinquish control of...
He simply said that construction was much more my skill than his, respectfully, of course!