Broken

It is no doubt my particular bent, but I never ceased to be amazed how particular words stand out to me. The one that did yesterday was broken.

It made me think of a lot of things. We try to keep only things that are beautiful, useful or joyful. It can be hard. It was like someone put online. “Maybe I should keep that box, because it is such a nice…box.”

There are definitely things we do not keep though. Things broken beyond repair. I try to ascertain first if that is the way it is. No doubt it can look pathetic. Kuskie trying to put something together that really has had its day.

At the moment I am trying to fix a wise man that was dropped and broke. The head broke off and smashed into a number of pieces. It can be a bit disconcerting. A visitor saw it and had trouble coming to grips with a headless wise man. I thought I had all the pieces in a bag but when I tried to put it together there were obviously pieces missing.

But I was undeterred. The head was in one piece. Looked at from the front no-one would ever know. Looking at it from the back though is a different story. Brainless and wise man do not seem to go together. The back shows a brainless cavity where the contents of the head would be. Oh well glue it up and no-one will ever know. I’m counting on you not telling anyone.

A guy from another country told me there they attempt to fix something rather than dispose of it. Here it is pretty different. Things are not built to last for a start. It seems the day after the warranty expires the thing breaks.

But re-purposing is getting big. My repurposing is that instead of rocks at the bottom of pots I use the poly styrene that encloses new items. Way lighter and probably will last 400 years. I also use aluminium trays to hold pots in water at the base. Pot bases cost a fortune and where ever I have been are bought separately. I got that one from dad.

It is hard for me to admit, and I say it like I am talking with a mouth full of sand, but I know there are parts of me broken to. There is heaps where it is all good but there are other parts. I know because I have to live with me 24/7.

Broken parts need fixing. I think of broken as the opposite of "fit for purpose." I have my own little list but from what I see there are a heap of them. Domestic violence is such an issue. Uncontrolled anger. Lying and cheating. I am sure there is whole list. What may not be broken for me may be for someone else and vice versa.

I knew a guy that admitted to being a chronic liar. Fair dinkum I had no idea. That would have been tough to admit to I reckon. Still he was after a cure rather than having it managed. That has become big with me of late. Cure rather than manage. Manage is good. Cure is better.

My broken bits are unsightly and not useful. Tell you what though., fixed broken bits are really appreciated by me, and I am sure that as a result others like to be around me more.