Getting Back To Zero

So much of life is simply getting back to zero.

Meaning: getting back to the way things once were.

Not an improvement on the old; just the old as it once was when new.

Nowhere is this more evident than when one is a homeowner.

Things rust (particularly if you live near the sea; the closer you are, the more and faster things rust).

Things decay.

Things wear out.

Connections loosen.

Wires fray.

Corrosion occurs.

After I bought the house I’d been renting for over a decade my mentality shifted.

No longer could I call the landlord if/when things went wrong or bad.

It was now on my shoulders.

It was my house.

I replaced hinges on both doors and cabinets.

Some required considerable elbow grease, making me wonder why I’d embarked on such a project in the first place.

Although they looked new, they were not necessarily better than what they once were.

I knew that but still replaced them.

They might last a few decades, but might again require attention, if I’m fortunate enough to still be around then.

I repainted cabinets, filling in recessed areas and sanding bumps beforehand to ensure a flat surface.