Off the Editor’s Spike: Finally, springtime!

Every spring the same itch… house cleaning, motorcycle servicing, yardwork planning. High hopes. It may take quite a few cups of coffee at my easy chair in the study to get the right perspective, the right frame of mind. It’s not easy to prioritize spring cleaning. There’s so much to choose from. Such decisions get a person …well, personal.

Every busy body knows spring is the time to go through stuff, separate and sort. It’s quite an effort to shift away from concerns that I can’t do a thing about – problems completely beyond my control – and focus on spring cleaning.

I’ve tackled this annual routine in various ways in the past. I’m best at piles, applying a simple either-or strategy: things I can fix and those I can’t. And every year I promise myself not to let one pile tumble into the other. It’s quite a challenge.

There’re also bigger projects, like our upstairs bathroom. Ever since our COVID quarantine experience we’ve wanted to remodel the relic, our shrine to the essentials now arrayed in a style about a step above the outhouse. The motivation for change starts with water supply, or rather the lack thereof, with ancient half-inch metal pipes now nearly choked shut with lime.

Fake tile designs on the linoleum floor help point out how much the entire room is out of square. And wallpaper. You shouldn’t use wallpaper in the room where humidity is constantly out of control, but there it is… frayed edges, wrinkled or saggin’ like other things you don’t want to see in the mirror as you climb out of the shower.

One of the great joys of springtime is being able to simply open the window and throw up the sash to let the glorious breezes of spring waft away. At bedtime it’s even better, hearing the frogs and other critters congregating at the nearby pond rather than the insistent hum of the space heater (which puts the next utility bill as the last thing on your mind as you drift into a fitful sleep).

Spring is also a good time to air out your prejudices that have collected in the attic of your brain. You know, people who’ve rubbed you wrong, groups who’ve irritated you, attitudes that have made your mind… well… stuffy. Consider the possibility that you may be wrong. I’ll tell you a secret: your animosity towards these folks probably hasn’t affected them one bit but harboring ill eats on you like dry rot in a damp basement. The only one who’s been harmed by your bitterness is you.

The older our house gets, the more the word “repairs” shows up on our monthly bank statements. This week the clothes dryer went on the blink. Liz finished the last load by scattering garments to dry out on the deck railing. It got me wondering, should I add “clothesline” onto my springtime work list? Maybe, if for no other reason than to get the neighbors talking. Remember how stiff clean blue jeans could be when dried by a hot summer’s sun?

I’m stupid enough to tackle about any project (read that starting, not finishing), but I always want to hire out window cleaning. Ever since I sprouted a grey beard, everybody worries about me balancing on a ladder and even my wife doesn’t get pushy about the windows anymore. But, darn it, spring is pretty much wasted if you can’t see it.

The world is changing fast. You can either grouse about it until your funeral arrives or you can get a fresh look at things and decide maybe you can change as well. I’m not preaching. All I’m saying is it’s hard to get a clear view of the world when your windows are streaked.

If COVID has done anything, it’s reminded me how precious springtime really is and how few springtimes I may yet be allowed to enjoy. How ‘bout you? So, let’s get out there and soak it up.

Springtime loses its delight when you only watch the reruns on the Weather Channel. Don’t wait for warmer weather or a cloudless day.

Week by week I realize fewer and fewer folks in this world care about this little newspaper and, obviously, there’s more to relevant than merely meeting another deadline. My neighbor who’s addicted to Facebook just checked and, apparently, life is happening right outside this office door at this very moment. Amazing! Spring has sprung. Let’s get at it!