Heading Out

I have always thought of myself as a “product-oriented” person.  I’m not nearly as interested in how one gets to a final outcome as I am in the outcome, itself.  Or so I thought.  Part of my point of view is based upon lack of patience.  As a former California teaching colleague used to say of me, “Patience is not your middle name, Sydney!”

But now that I am enjoying my Golden Years, I’m re-thinking that assessment.  I am realizing that my viewpoint depends upon the activity, itself.  The events of yesterday provide a peek into my confusion.  We were involved in three distinct and totally disparate situations and I found that on the process – product continuum I felt differently about each.

First up was a trip to Portland and back for a doctor’s appointment.  It was a follow-up appointment for Nyel to do with an ongoing health issue.  I’m not even sure what “the product” would be in this case – probably a good report from the doctor – but getting there and getting back put me in mind of traveling in general.

I’ve come to realize that I enjoy the planning of a trip (even a day jaunt) almost as much as I enjoy the destination.  What to wear, what to take, where to stop along the route, how much time to allow – all those considerations are enjoyable to me.  In fact, I sometimes wonder if I couldn’t save the stress and strain of traveling by just staying home and working out the plan and then watching a Rick Steves DVD.  (Well, it probably wouldn’t work with a doctor’s appointment, but technology is certainly headed in that direction.)

Roof Project in Mid-Process, 2012

When we arrived home it was almost dark – too dark for a photograph – and the big red Solum Roofing truck was just about to pull away from our house.  While we had been gone, the roofers had arrived to replace the final section of our upper roof.  Hooray!  Our re-roofing process has taken place over a six (or is eight) year span, strung out at our request because that’s the only way we could afford it.  Mr. Solum has been fabulous about the arrangements.

But, this is a case in which the long, drawn out process has been bothersome in the extreme.  I just want the job to be done.  Totally done. It’s a fine example of that old “Patience is not my middle name” gibe.

And, finally last night, we went to an Oysterville Design Review Board (ODRB) meeting.  It was an orientation meeting for the two newest members of the Board, Greg Rogers (Oysterville Store owner) and Anna Hook Spooner (one of my Red House Cousins).  In one way or another, almost the entire meeting dealt with process.  Of course!  That’s what the ODRB is all about.

Although it was a public meeting (and well attended by Oysterville residents) those of us not on the Board were onlookers only.  It wasn’t until the Board adjourned that the rest of us were invited to talk about what was on our minds.  During the formal part of the meeting, I found it difficult to keep my mouth shut – especially about some of the historical background that I lived through/participated in but that was mis-reported or completely unknown to the participants.  Truth to tell, I probably would have interrupted the meeting to correct the record, had I been more certain of my own memory.  But I wasn’t so I didn’t.

ODRB Meeting, January 2014

As I watched this grass roots process unfold I was reminded, once again, that I do, indeed, enjoy the process.  Maybe it’s a function of age, but ‘product’ no longer seems the be-all-end-all. Although I would be the first to say that the “product” of the ODRB process – the continuing physical integrity of the Oysterville National Historic District – is worth every bit of angst since the ODRB was created in 1977, I am realizing that the getting-there becomes more important all the time.