November 16, 2015
Variety is the Spice of Life

I rearranged the furniture in my house the other day.  I tore into the project on Friday night and woke to a full blown disaster area that was once the living room on Saturday morning.  I reasoned my way through the mire, reminding myself that after all, it’d been probably a good 15 years since I’d moved anything around. It was high time for a shake-up.

In the wake of my fervent decorating were stacks of nick-knacks in boxes, framed photographs piled high, and books.  Books everywhere.  You see, perhaps the most challenging part of the project wasn’t just where to position the couch and coffee table. Or where to hang the art prints.  It was of course, where to locate my cherished collection of books.

And so I pondered.  But that doesn’t get you far, really.  In my past experience, you just have to move stuff until it feels right.  It’s something like a jigsaw puzzle:  the picture isn’t clear until you fit all of the pieces into perfect place.

So I tried putting the couch against the front windows.  I lived with that situation for a day until I agreed with myself that it just didn’t feel quite right.  And though the thought of maneuvering that beast again wasn’t something I was keen to do, I went to tugging the behemoth monster inch, by inch, across the room to the other wall. There it sat in its new home. Waiting for the next move I might make. Again I slept on it.  Or rather, fell into bed in sheer exhaustion.  There I tossed and turned, I’m sure unable to shut off the brain functions that tugged with just what I should do with the furniture placement.

The plan was to tote my big book shelf and stand it in the dining room where it would be filled with all manner of books to digest as I’m dining by candlelight.  Plan C sounded good in theory. And besides, I’d run out of wall space on which to put the bookshelf.

In the meantime I’d emptied every one of my three bookshelves and piled staggeringly high towers of books off to the side.  It was all I could do not to give in to the willpower to sit and read the day away – some of those books that I haven’t read yet vow to read one day.

Once the cabinets were back into their new spot I started loading books once again.  Moving books is nothing new for me – I was a librarian for almost a quarter of a century and it’s what we do.  But it’s not an easy task and I reasoned that even though I don’t work out as often as I should I still know how to do some serious weight lifting when I have to.

 

An hour later and no less than 8 finger nails sacrificed, the bookshelves were full and looking smart as ever.  I sat down, arms limp from the exertion, and slowly, began to shake my head.  In a true feng shui realization, I told myself that it just wasn’t right and I knew I could not live with what I had done.  And so, it was time to take the books out.

Again. 

Then tote all 100 pound of the big oak bookshelf across the room to where I just knew it would “work”.  You guessed it, the darned thing ended up exactly where it had started three days ago.  I guess it was just the right thing to do. 

It wasn’t until I was almost done tasking that I remembered my moving me – and so I called them into practice.  No, I didn’t hire a bunch of strong arms (though now that I think of it, that might not have been such a bad idea).  I brought out my plastic disks, the “moving men” and placed the furniture atop and voile’, I was moving furniture with one hand tied behind my back.  Well, almost. 

And so now I have a “new” living room and dining room configuration.  And it feels so keen to walk in and see my handiwork, almost like walking into a new living space. 

When we were kids, our mother used to delight in rearranging our furniture with the changing of the seasons.  This time of year, with winter on the prowl, she’d place the couch against the window, I guess in an effort to block out the cold, howling winds.  We’d arrive home from school to a brand new home – she’d work her magic on the furniture placement once again.

I guess I come by my need for change naturally, and determinedly.  I’m pretty sure mom had no help whatsoever in toting our couch across the room – sheer will power and I’m so glad I inherited that from her.  I’m not planning on moving much of anything for a while now.  At least I don’t think…..but I really should get to work organizing those book shelves….alphabetically or by Dewey Decimal, that is the question.

The next time I decide to move things around, I think I’ll have a few friends over and see if I can appeal to their good nature to help me out in my weak desperation.  Either that or I might just have to find a few good, strong bodybuilders to lend a hand.