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Why we need to dig deep
Life can be dispiriting at times. We put huge effort into an endeavour (art, music, love, work) for it to go nowhere at all. Or we find ourselves toiling away, creating, building, refining, and then have only a modicum of success. Neither seems to match the blood, sweat and tears we’ve expended.
I was reminded of this when I came across a receipt for concrete. I know, not an obvious wellspring of inspiration. Some years ago my husband and I built a kitchen extension. It wasn’t big, but enough to drain our finances for some time. Extensions need foundations and foundations need holes. Ours was dug by hand by a heroic man, whose name I can’t even remember. Don’t ask why we couldn’t use a mechanical digger — I’ll just rant about impossible neighbours.
The poor builder spent three days digging an enormous hole with just his muscles, a spade and buckets of tea for assistance. Then, once the job was done, he simply filled it up again with concrete and we were back where we started. The cost? £5,000. At the time I was incredulous. How much to dig a hole and fill it? It seemed like there was nothing to see for his efforts, or our money.
Disappointingly no one expressed any interest in our kitchen foundations. I suppose it’s because we can’t see them once a building is up and, more importantly, foundations aren’t exactly exciting. Spend £5000 on new furniture…
