Fast to ignore, slow to include

Ignoring anything for too long causes rot to set in.

Begin with noticing.

I misjudged what it would take to seal the wood deck. Wash deck, seal deck. How long could it take? In my mind, sealing the deck looked borderline fun too—standing and sweeping sealant broadly using a long pole with a pad on the end of it. Easy on the satisfaction factor. Easy on the body.

Of course the project wasn't quick. No home project is unless, say, you're changing a roll of toilet paper.

There were several things we didn't consider, the main one being: the railings. We had sealed the decking previously but never the railings. Surely this equates to some form of homeowner negligence. But we were noticing those railings this time, and in a full attempt at homeowner caretaking, we were going to seal them.

Protect all deck parts, something like that.

I'm not exactly sure why we didn't seal the railings before, but likely we simply ignored them. To notice them as part of the deck would have meant dealing with them, slowing down the whole project. But when I stop to think about it, railings are slightly important to keep in good working order since they, you know, hold us safe.

Add in railings and there's nothing borderline fun anymore about sealing the deck. The going was s-l-o-w. Harder on the satisfaction factor. Harder on the body.

So I wonder: What parts of me am I ignoring because including them will slow me down or make things harder? And my god, am I ignoring parts of me that hold me safe?

Include all parts.

P.S. Richard Schwartz’s book No Bad Parts can change a life.