Transactional

Late at night the thought came to me: so much of our daily activity is driven by input, action, output. We are taskers much of the time. Do we think of why we do anything? Do we wonder about the value of the outcomes?

If you do – if we do – then life becomes intentional not transactional.

Intentional is also purposeful, mission driven, hopeful of positive outcomes. It is not just about earning money or putting in my time without being fired. It is the big picture that draws us toward the value of what we do.

Transactional living is robotic, unmindful. It leads us to trouble like doing the same thing expecting different results.

Maybe that explains why I pound the computer when it does not work right? Or kick the washing machine when it hiccups? Pushing the same buttons or keys does not seem to work. Why keep pushing them?

If politicians continue to produce little of value, why do we continue to vote for them? Why not run for office yourself, or at least learn who has the credentials to run, is interested in the job, and work for him or her to replace the do-nothings currently in office?

On the personal side of things, if the house needs cleaning, identify the tasks included in the project, and plan what you can do in certain timeframes. For us, vacuuming is a luxury rarely done because we cannot stand for long, nor push and tug a machine over every square foot of space in our apartment. We are exhausted and need to sit down a bit from time to time to see the task through. Meanwhile, we realize anew the meaning of the phrase – “things own you, not you them.”

From that realization comes the motivation to declutter and toss out unneeded stuff. Out come the trash bags, out goes unworn clothing, unread books, and doodads that long ago lost their meaning in our lives. A decluttered home is a home easier to maintain and keep clean.

Now dusting; there’s a gritty subject! It would be easy if it did not involve moving so much stuff in the way, stuff that we soon realize no longer has importance to us. More decluttering.

But the most difficult space of all are closets. Suits that do not fit; suits that are not worn any longer even if they do fit. Same for slacks, dress shirts and ties. All I need are four ties now to coordinate with any possible outfit. Even then, the four ties could be replaced with one black one. The only problem with decluttering closets is the fresh space now available to stuff other things that are in the way in the rooms. Soon those are tossed into the closets and our tasks for another day is to junk that stuff.

As we age these issues become more critical. Window blinds? Oh for God’s sake, they are brutal to clean. Forget dusting them; left alone too long they need scrubbing or replacement!  The latter is easier, more costly, but faster.

No doubt we are not alone in this stage of life. Elder experiences shared at mealtimes with others is a hoot of sharing the aches, pains and inabilities. We know we do it. Bet you do too! 

July 20, 2021