Aside from "constructing” a Substack, I’ve also begun work on a new physical space. This project is now years in development, from the idea of first a house addition, then then separate shop space, back to shop addition, eventually breaking ground on foundation and most recently the contractor finishing the concrete work. Now the remainder of the work is squarely in my court.
I’ve made a fair bit of progress of recent (at my pace) that hasn’t allowed documentation. I want to use as much of the non-winter time ahead of me to get to a good winter spot. I have been making some notes for posts and to keep memories close at hand.
As I’m want to do, I look at these snippets and attempt to draw a grand conclusion and see at least partially cohesive narrative hidden within. With this purpose in mind, as I looked at these notes. Several disparate items locked together in a way that I hope I can convey in this post and the next.
The first word was “Scaffolding.”
The initial point was this: I knew this project would involve lots of working at varying heights and I decided to invest in a two level baker scaffolding. It wasn’t a cheap or glamorous tool, but since the alternative was a lot of ladder work, I figured I’d be glad I’d done it in the end and could maybe resell and recoup some portion when done. Back c.2006 when I replaced windows & siding on my house, I justified the savings of not paying myself with the purchase of a decent ladder to replace the rickety step ladder deathtrap of doom I’d been using to cheat death before. That ladder has paid for itself innumerable times in the intervening years. And already only a short time into this project, this scaffolding has as well. I’m sure that I will use it a lot and having safe comfortable working location speeds progress. It’s already made it much more pleasant to strip siding, setup the ledger boards for the loft and work with the ballon framed walls. This was basically what I meant when I quickly noted “scaffolding” that investing in your safety isn’t thrilling or fancy, but it is so much more worth it than you believe it will be at first.
However, I also see this word in a more metaphysical way, or at least as M-W definition #2 suggests:
“a support system or structure likened to a system of scaffolds especially, education : a system or framework of support provided by an instructor to help a student reach the next level of learning”
I’ve remodeled and assisted with numerous building projects over the years but this is my first personal literally from-the-ground-up project. Upon reflection, I can see decades of scaffolding providing support leading here. From my mom sketching floor plans and discussing their flows from a very young age, despite not necessarily being able to apply and build their own home until c.2010, to the numerous remodeling and construction projects where I as a youth/teenager begrudgingly lent my assistance and learnt to swing a hammer, measure, cut, and on and on. I can think of many individuals throughout the years that have contributed to this scaffold of skills giving start-to-finish confidence in a way that seems exceptional to folks like my wife who weren’t raised in families where construction was the norm. In this way, my support system is solid.
However, there is something that has changed generationally for me. “Support system” In my youth meant nearby aunts and uncles (whether blood related or not) descending upon a place to handle a project —a deck, a roof, converting a one room school house into a two story domicile. Back then, everyone knew construction and working together was just part of getting together, and folks had skill to offer since no one had any money. Labor was the love language de jour. But today, my personal circle looks vastly different. Most are white collar workers. I can discuss mechanical design, dovetails, podcasts, memes, or sql queries, but strong constructions backs are few and far between. Then there’s scheduling and distance where my trusted circle are widely distributed and not many even an hour or two nearby these days; most require a plane ride and/or months of schedule coordination to see in-person. Then there’s the fact I’m not in the same financial boat my parents were, where there certainly wasn’t any money to pay for things to be hired. It feels greedy to ask someone to volunteer their precious time to come to my aid building my clubhouse. Instead I’m doing it myself for “?” I’m not sure…. a sense of accomplishment? … cost reduction? ….creative control?… exposing my kids to construction labor in their personal life?…?
All this really to reflect on the scaffolding in our lives:
Literally a safe spot while we work efficiently
Treasuring those that have helped you build necessary skills along your journey and providing that for others
Longing for simpler (or more challenging?) times of close knit local communities sharing in labor together, or at least being intentional about having a support system close-at-hand (even if remote).