The Little Things
By Jason Marshall
I’ve always been an optimist. The glass half-full guy.
Granted, it’s more challenging to keep that positive outlook in an era of half-truths and outright lies.
As a kid, I was an advertising agency’s dream customer. Impressionable. Trusting. Downright gullible.
Try to convince me that Sea Monkeys don’t look just like the pictures in the comic book ads.
Then as I hit puberty, I had to order X-ray Specs for obvious reasons. After all, results were guaranteed or I’d get my money back.
And television, my trusted companion, would never lie to me.
One bite of Imperial margarine and poof! I’d have a crown on my head. After all, it was fit for a king.
Some things never change.
Today’s DIY shows have convinced me I’m a master carpenter.
If the professor could make a radio out of a coconut, there’s no reason I can’t build my own house in a half hour. Maybe 60 minutes if I plan to reveal it to the entire neighbourhood.
I can handle some home improvement projects. Painting. Replacing a faucet. Hanging a ceiling fan. Fixing a leaky toilet. Putting up trim. Repairing a hole in the drywall after my trim project goes sideways.
Anything bigger than that requires just one tool. A phone. Let’s call someone who can do it.
My dad built houses for a living and his hands were strong and calloused. His forearms like stone from swinging a hammer all day. He came home most nights with a pencil behind his ear and sawdust in his pant cuffs.
Every day I wish I could call him for his help with life. Never more so than at renovation time.
I do remember him always telling us kids not to make ourselves house-poor. He said when we had our own house, to invest time and money in its upkeep, but not all our time and money. We shouldn’t overextend ourselves to buy a house or continually renovate a fixer-upper to make things perfect. Chasing perfection will consume you. And your bank account.
I may not have inherited the handyman gene, but I have heeded my dad’s wise words.
As a kid, I never noticed that our place wasn’t overly big or lavish. No imported Italian marble or Brazilian mahogany to be found. Looking back, it may have needed new carpet. Maybe a coat of paint.
As an adult, I certainly notice that our place could use another closet or two. New cabinets to freshen up the kitchen. Perhaps a bigger tub with jets to loosen aching muscles.
Wanting to improve is part of life. To make things just the way you want them in your house. That’s the foundation on which the multi-billion-dollar DIY industry is built.
Then I hear the voice of Dear Old Dad: at the end of the day, a house is just a building. When you take a building and breathe life into it, that’s when it becomes a home.
We still tackle projects at our place. We always will, but with a measure of acceptance. Our dream home is a place that will forever provide comfort and security to our family.
Our door frames may need fresh paint, but not at the expense of the pencil lines showing how much our kids are growing.
Expensive paintings don’t cover our walls. Rather, we choose priceless family photos.
Our baseboards are scuffed and worn from rubber balls and little sneakers. Windowsills are decorated with tiny handprints and crayon masterpieces.
Every house should be more than brick and mortar.
It’s the energy, atmosphere and vibe of the building you’re living in that will truly make it a home.
We’re hand-crafting a sanctuary for our children, no matter their age.
Our goal is to make our place comfortable, with a dining room table that is crowded. Today and always.
As our kids grow up and have kids of their own, the layout of our house will change. A bedroom may become an office. We may get that extra closet. No doubt a bigger tub with jets will make an appearance to combat aching bones. Better yet, a hot tub.
We may make some big changes to the house, but never losing sight of the little things is what will always make it a home.
Jason Marshall has been a writer and journalist for more than 35 years and is an on-air host and general manager at Valley Heritage Radio just outside of Renfrew, Ontario. And he’s truly a big kid at heart. You can email him anytime at jason@valleyheritageradio.ca
