... No writing yesterday. But that was the plan, honest ...
April 19, 1999
6:15 a.m.
Lisa and I are very different people. Having come to a consensus decision that our family room was too big and our living room too small, we're in the process of swapping the two. We did the big stuff first, emptied the bookshelves into boxes and then moved the couches and chairs and stuff. Built new bookcases and television stands, acquired new electronics. That was last week. This week was for putting everything together. I started on hooking up the entertainment center, a good guy thing, you know. Lisa worked on getting the books into the new shelving. We have, ahem, a lot of books. So needless to say that despite all the normal difficulties, (things like having the receiver not accept output from the TV, removing the receiver system and reinstalling, then finding out it was probably because I had the volume too low to hear) I was finished with my job before she was finished with hers. So then I did the husbandly thing. "How can I help," I said to her. Lisa was on the floor, surrounded by a literal mountain of books. She proceeded to explain what she had done to date, going into details that were fine, but really didn't do much to answer my question--it's a Venus and Mars thing, I know. "So, how can I help?" She chewed her lip and told me that she's overwhelmed by the magnitude of the effort, and that she's just trying to get everything put together in some order. We talk about this a bit more. She points out the piles of books she's started on, alphabetized by author. She's got a pile of As, Bs, and Cs going. "So, I finally said, "I can help by starting at the back of the alphabet and creating piles of books alphabetized by author?" "Yeah, that way we'll meet in the middle." So I was off and running. Did I mention that we have a lot of books? Eventually we got them all piled, and began the chore of putting them onto the shelves. Lisa started at the As, once again, and I started with the Zs. Lisa stopped me occasionally to ask questions about specific books and specific authors, I just plowed on through the alphabet in reverse. Books funneled their way onto the shelves. Zelazny, Wolfe, Wambaugh, Tepper, Stephenson, Resnick, Pohl . . . pretty soon we met in the middle, just like Lisa said we would. There were a few more letters to go when Lisa pointed to a pile of books, the Ms, I think they were. "Would you alphabetize these by title?" she said. "By title?" I asked. You can tell where this is going, can't you? "Where have you been all day?" Suddenly, I realized why she had been asking about the stray book here and there. "You're alphabetizing by title?" "Sure, except in the obvious cases where a series goes together." I should mention here that our agreed upon method of arranging books by author can be broken--for example, Wired about John Belushi, is included in the Bs section, rather than the author. Keith Moon's biography is under M, as is Jim Morrison's. Malcom X's goes under X. But, back to the story. Now, personally, I'm pleased to just have my books arranged by author, figuring I can look along a few feet of wall to find anything I need. But Lisa and I are different. Lisa is a mathematician, I am an engineer. She needs things just so, I live by the phrase "Close enough for government work." I scratched my jaw, looking back through the alphabet sitting pristinely along the wall. I turned back to my wife and she smiled. Have I mentioned what a nice smile Lisa has? Well, she has a really nice one. "Hmmm," I said as I trudged back through the work I had done, alphabetizing by title.   Have a good one.  Daily Persistence is © Ron Collins |
|
"May the gods grant you all things which your heart desires, and may they give you a husband and a home and gracious concord, for there is nothing greater and better than this--when a husband and wife keep a household in oneness of mind, a great woe to their enemies and joy to their friends, and win high renown." Homer |
BACK TO 
|