Rochester, NY
I’ve been helping a friend paint the house he just bought. We did some work yesterday. The previous owners may have been color blind or had a ‘different’ sense for what looks good. Needless to say, there is a lot of work to be done. Over a couple of weekends I helped finish off the living room and get started on the dining room.
This is a friend of mine from way back and when you see someone that you’ve known for so long moving into a new house and essentially, taking another step on the road of life, it is pretty cool.
When I paint, it helps my mind relax. Or, it could be the fumes. I guess when all you can focus on is not getting paint on the wood trim and floor, there is no space for other stuff. As I type that, it is not all true. By not thinking about things, other things pop into your head. Some may call this the subconscious mind.
Anyway, as I’ve painted, my mind has flashed with my road and houses and all of the things that come with it. I don’t see me with a house and roots just yet. That is not a driver for me. I see the road, and the book, and the speaking and all of that.
I enjoy the painting and seeing the rather instant metamorphoses of an ugly wall to an appealing one. It’s also nice to get to shoot the breeze in an environment like that. You can talk via email or on the phone or in a bar, but when it’s just two people working toward a goal, it’s fun. We’ve laughed a lot at the now and the past. The house is taking shape. It will be a party when he gets to move in.