I'm just a living legacy to the leader of the band

As anyone who has talked to me about my parents knows, I had wonderful parents. I was very lucky to have such wonderful parents! Still, some lessons just didn't take. It's not a lack of good examples from them. I just think some things don't fit with my circumstances.

I grew up in nice, middle class surroundings. We never were spoiled, but we didn't want for any of life's necessities either. Also, my parents managed to put me and both of my brothers through college and graduate school. Now, I worked while I was in college (and for years before, actually), but I can't, by any stretch, claim to have put myself through. What I made and put toward my expenses was a pittance compared to what my parents spent.

The point is that they did okay. They worked their butts off--my Dad worked way too hard for most of his life. They were also careful with money. They were generous to me, my brothers and many others in their lives, but they didn't spend frivolously.

Hand in hand with this sensibility was my Dad's desire that nothing go to waste. I think this may have been common to Depression-era babies! Also, he took pleasure in little tasks on Sundays. He enjoyed chopping wood in the yard, cleaning the gutters, etc.

So, as we clean out my Mom's house (the task that seems to go on forever--but actually should be done soon, and then we can finish my grandmother's place), I have been finding little reminders of my Dad's projects.

One example is this...




Here's a close-up of his work...




So what's the deal? Well, the laundry baskets would break over time. These were basic plastic baskets. My Mom wouldn't spend a lot on something as basic as that.

When they broke, they could have been replaced easily enough. It's not that we couldn't afford new ones, but that wasn't the point. My Dad saw things like this as a challenge.

So, as you can see from these pictures, he'd take a broken basket downstairs, drill strategically placed holes and wire them back together. Every time the basket broke in another place, it was time for a repair.

I'd venture to say that the wire he put into the basket was worth more than the basket itself cost! More to the point, my Dad's time was sure worth a lot more than a new laundry basket. Of course, he wouldn't see it that way. He got satisfaction from these little projects, and there's where the disconnect happens. That's just not something I would do.

In my house, a broken laundry basket is a gift for the trash guys. I just don't get that same satisfaction from such projects. That probably is a mark against me, but I can live with myself! :)