Little Tasks
Several years ago, when I lived on a ranch in central California, one of my neighbors was a prestigious attorney and his quirky super fun wife. They had build a home that was the envy of many in the area. Not because of its size, but because of its incredible design. Both interior and exterior had the beautiful vibe of a small Italian country Villa The driveway was long, but not egregiously so. It was covered with small gravel. I used to make fun of her as I would often see her raking the driveway so that the gravel looked orderly and smooth I laughed at what I thought was largely an unnecessary act as within 30 minutes someone would be driving on that very smooth pebble driveway.
I was having lunch at a small village in the Marche region of Italia. My table was right across from a small hotel. I was watching a woman sweep the doorway of one of the rooms of the hotel. She was sweeping in such a meticulous way. It wasn't one of those-- I'm sweeping it out onto the street methods. It was delicate and precise as if she were really trying to get all of the dust into the dust bim. As with my friend. I laughed at the focus and preciseness of the task which again would be rendered unnecessary as the doorway would soon be covered with dust and dirt as this small village was in a very windy area.
I live in the town of Sausalito across from San Francisco. I have a long walkway again, not egregiously long, but a walkway which on either side are multiple bushes that drop leaves and flowers and all sorts of things onto the walkway. I have an electric leaf blower. When I first walk down this walkway in the morning I take my leaf blower and blow off the sidewalk. A task which appears to be fruitless as when I return in the evening the path has collected leaves and red flower droppings as in the morning.
Like my neighbor and the woman at the small hotel in Italy, I am now laughing at myself over the little tasks which become so important in our lives. I'm thinking about why? With all of the big things that are going on in the world and with our own life big things, whether bills, careers, jobs, children, romantic endeavors, the things we encounter in our lives, seem to be outsized, some almost impossible to solve. I think our focus on the apparently unnecessary little tasks allow us to achieve an immediate success at something we've accomplished.
On this sunny day, having lunch on my own , I'm beginning to re-appraise my friends effort at keeping her gravel driveway, smooth. When I get home, I will once again take my leaf blower out and will blow my little walkway, clean for the moment. I will embrace my sense of achievement when all the rest of the world seems unachievable.
It's the little things .....