#68 A Tough Winter, 2020
All the negative things they say about idle time are true.
I've gotta take a little time
A little time to think things over
I better read between the lines
In case I need it when I'm older
This mountain, I must climb
Feels like a world upon my shoulders
Through the clouds, I see love shine
Keeps me warm as life grows colder
In my life, there's been heartache and pain
I don't know if I can face it again
Can't stop now, I've traveled so far
To change this lonely life
- Foreigner
In late January I dropped off a brief resume to every church within five miles of my home. I thought maybe performing custodial and handyman duties part time around a church would be a peaceful way to spend a few hours a day and to build up some money for my 2020 travels.
I received a call the same day from a large church about a mile from home. I began working the following Monday, not in the church, but in the private school associated with it. It turned out to be more time consuming than I was looking for, but I decided to hang with it.
My new boss noticed on my resume that power washing was part of my former business so he had me power wash all the walkways around the school buildings and church. I was alone most of the time. That was a good thing. I’d get off in my own little world. With my earbuds tucked into my ears and the roar of the power washer blocking out all other sounds, the rest of the world might as well not existed. It was just me, the music, and my magic wand turning slimy sidewalks back to former beauty.
Some evenings I worked closely with others cleaning classrooms or performing light maintenance. I did my best to appear normal when in society, a difficult task for long periods. Some days I work inside the school, there was so much movement and noise I couldn’t wait to get back outside to the peaceful hum of the power washer.