Everything Else

Creating along with everything else

While creating, there needs to be time made for everything else. When you forget to do everything else, everything else falls apart. You might be able to ignore it and let things pile up with everything else, but in time it might fall like a house of cards. At times, everything else can get in the way. Some who coach would say do the essential things first and everything else later. It takes some skill to manage everything else. Making pots and some of this writing might be late due to everything else getting in the way.

Yesterday, everything else took up most of the day. But there was a sense of comfort and relaxation in doing everything else. Some might call this a distraction, and others may see it as resistance or avoidance. But it can be a nice break to do everything else, as it gives you time to absorb and not experience burnout. Yesterday I was able to take my wife on a little picnic date. We got sandwiches at the gas station and ate them down by the river. It was such a nice day doing everything else that the pots were almost forgotten. All those mug forms are now candle cups as they were dry well past the point of handling. That’s fine, as doing everything else was more important. I don’t want her to run off with a doctor.

The big truck came today, delivering the clay. The driver was very friendly and talkative and told stories. So this job doing everything else was also fun. The driver told of working on the hay trucks. So, unloading a ton of clay was no problem. The truck had no lift, so we handled all the clay boxes by hand. Doing everything else went fast, chatting and storytelling. “Five high and tie.” was the saying on the hay truck. It seemed way back Uncle Ron always wanted to put one more row on. Once, we had to toss bales off the tractor-trailer to fit under the bridge. We both laugh as we stack up the clay boxes in the drive. The bowls dried out even under plastic as everything else, like unloading clay, was done. Better planning might be necessary, some would say.

Later today is my wife’s hair appointment. It was a good thing that she scheduled it for late afternoon, as the clay truck came today along with everything else. At times, everything else tends to work its way out. My wife does not have a license because of her anxiety of driving. Along with everything else, we also need to go to the food shop. Today was a nice day and perfect for throwing outside with the treadle wheel. The wheel would need to be carted outside with everything else. But I think it would be worth it.

It might seem that complaining a bit about my day and not getting clay work and everything else done would make a person feel better. But maybe creating is just a part of everything else, and we should not worry about it. At times, we might beat ourselves up for doing everything else and not getting time to create. But maybe doing everything else is part of the journey. It gives us time to pick our heads up from our work, have a look around, and reflect on our lives and what matters. Maybe we will find that it is everything else that allows us to do what we feel called to do. I hope you get everything else done today and have time to make work that matters for a few folks who care.