Becoming Enlightened By Hanging a Light

I hung up a shop light today. I had purchased it months ago. It was often on my mind that it needed to be put up. But my luck with simple little household projects has not been very good. Usually, it is the attaching to a wall that just doesn’t work out. So I wanted the shop light installed, but I dreaded the possibility of a botched job. I doubted my ability to do that basic work.

It could be a quick project of possibly half an hour, but not in my case. First, I had to move piles of stuff that had landed in front of and on the table that I wanted the light to be above. Then I pulled the table out from the wall so a ladder could be set up. While I had things pulled out, it was time to sweep up the dirt. Then, it turned out I did not have all of the hardware I needed. As I drove to two different stores to find ceiling hooks, I countered my negativity about wasting time with thoughts of this being part of the fun. I will frequently make a run to the craft store without thoughts of wasting time. Why not enjoy a trip to the hardware store?

I climbed up the ladder with the new drill I had obtained at Christmas and still had not tried out five months later. I felt awkward balancing on a ladder. I felt awkward using a drill. I felt uncertain I was anchoring the screw enough that it would hold. I had to get reading glasses to see well enough to attach a pull chain to the light. I wondered if pulling that chain over time would be enough to cause the hanging screws to come loose. It all went into place and, for the time being, seemed secure enough.

This little project took three hours to complete. I got some space organized in the garage. I enjoyed the fresh spring air with the garage door open while I worked. I browsed through hardware stores and had new ideas. I practiced my handyman skills once more and seemed to do a little better than the last time I tried. I felt satisfied with my work space which will allow me to try out some electric wood working tools and learn a new craft. It always amazes me how a simple little project provides so much personal growth. It seems odd that to most observers there would be little understanding of the negative self-assessments which were overcome in order to complete it. And once again, it is a marker of my independence and self-sufficiency I keep proving while being single and managing on my own. I am tentative and anxious, but little by little, I gain some confidence. Definitely time well spent!