Sometimes life throws stuff my way that’s not a major issue, but still irritates my mind, aggravates my body, or troubles my soul. I used to let these problems build up until I was overwhelmed but I am learning to take action sooner, in smaller ways. Solutions don’t have to be perfect to be effective. A band-aid brings relief.
For example, the exterior windows in the studio are covered in a light coat of rain-splashed dust. Every morning the sun highlights the dirt and obscures the view completely. Even though later in the morning the windows look clear again, for that hour or so I am stressed by the (lack of) view while I work at my desk. I can’t clean the windows without setting up scaffolding to reach them, so I hung crystal prisms to throw rainbows around the room and distract me from the dirt.
Over in the Tractorport there is a wasps’ nest right where I store my tools. These are paper wasps, ashinagabachi in Japanese, and while they are not particularly aggressive, they get agitated when I grab a rake or shovel. Since I don’t want to poison them and have their deaths on my conscience, I started talking to them to encourage them to leave. (Cats and dogs listen to me, so maybe wasps will, too?) If they are still around when the weather cools and I am using my tools more frequently, I may have to take action with a spray can.
My foot hasn’t fully healed since I injured it in early January. It gets better but then I misstep and it aches for days. Part of the problem has been improper footwear. Because my big feet are hard to buy for in Japan, I wear men’s shoes and I hate them. So I decided to try ordering from Temu and getting my shoes direct from China. The white mules I selected are cute and while not perfect, they provide better support than the clownishly large fake crocs that have been my go-to shoes for the past few months.
So that’s my list of petty problems and their solutions for this month. What’s been niggling at you lately and what have you done to fix it?
