Spinning a positive light 

BY MIMI BECKER

Community columnist

I’m one of the lucky ones. I trust people. Some might say I am foolish and/or naive. But, if someone who has information tells me something, I pay attention. I can be quite stubborn.  I come by that characteristic honestly, living in a headstrong and large family, members of which hold little back in familial interactions.  

I do need to ponder for a while and muddle through my thinking, but then it’s a done deal and I’m all in. For better, or not so. No apologies. Time to get to work.

So, here we are. Decisions have been made. Stuff isn’t going to be happening. Events and projects I have been working on for months are out of my hands. Most details can be undone, with the cooperation of partner groups, to minimize the effect and limit the potential of exposure for hundreds of children and families in our community.

It’s times like these where we see the good in those around us. A particularly tough decision had to be made by my organization. This event, honestly, won’t cause financial hardship on any partner if it does not happen at this time. 

I do apologize to those in the community who like to hang laundry in fresh spring air as I have been hoarding wooden clothespins to hang  hundreds of pieces of children’s art in a stunning exhibit. If you find yourself in need later when the sun shines, I may be willing to share with the guaranty I can resupply when the event is rescheduled. You know where to find me.

Now, I find myself with some time on my hands. Please don’t be offended when I say I’m determined to put a positive spin to the semi isolation. I am never at a loss for words and relish the opportunity to gather and meet with folks who are creative and talky and happy to share and plan. 

The result is I would rather learn how to mix paint to use on a fabric wall hanging or applique using freezer paper than clean out my inbox or tidy up my email list. Mundane, time consuming, yet necessary tools in the modern world. Jobs I never find time to attack. I think about it, open up the inbox and resolve melts when thousands of emails stare back at me. Across the room is a set of books to peruse for use at arts camp. Way more appealing than three-year old emails.  No contest.

The professional in me says I should use this unfortunate down time to accomplish some less than creative tasks instead of scrolling through Facebook and Youtube to see what people are up to.

While keeping my fingers crossed for the health of all those in the world, I’m going at it with a positive mindset. I have a list of tasks to keep my mind occupied. I hope above all that this is all over soon, so soon I will have no time to cross any of these off my list.

The internet is a wonderful tool, so some business can be conducted without risking any exposure or the health of at risk persons. Using it to stay in touch and plan forward already works for millions. While I do appreciate the flexibility of virtual meetings, I am not a fan. Time to retool my brain. Maybe I will create a stage set to use when Skyping, perhaps a series of hand painted scenes of places I wish I could go when there are no travel restrictions. Again, avoiding the real tasks at hand, preferring to work with a paintbrush in hand.

High on my list should be preparing our tax return. In competition with that annual chore is making our granddaughter’s First Communion dress. Both are due within days of each other.  Which do you suppose I will tackle first with my circumstances imposed free time?

While I don’t consider ironing a chore, I have let it pile up over the last while as the schedule has not been conducive to much more than domestic sanitation measures. So, I can get out the ironing board, iron and distilled water and go for it; a good opportunity to cross off the necessary and the pleasant.  

It is spring, the signs are here. I can begin yard spruce up ahead of my usual schedule. In order to do so, I will need to unearth the tools in the garage. They are in there somewhere under a winter’s worth of clutter. Much of the clutter has landed as a result of organizing and decluttering in the house. There are piles for metal recycling, donations and a  potential yard sale. I should just go at it, get it done, be relentless, dispatch it. Sounds like an awful lot of hard work, maybe I will just shuffle it around to get at the yard tools, patio cushions and pond equipment.

It is warm enough to sit outside with a book while hoping all are physically and mentally healthy very soon.