In Context

Saturday, April 10, 1999

What's the difference between a chore and an activity? What makes a chore a chore?

The main difference to me is that a chore is something you've been told to do, or feel like you have to do. I did a few things today that to me were enjoyable activities; but to an uninformed observer, they might have looked like chores.

Early this afternoon, Jev headed off to have lunch, goof off for a while, and then meet up with his project partners to work on something for class. We decided to meet up again around 8 PM my time, so I had lots of time on my hands, where I didn't have to be lurking at the computer, and wondering if and when he'd show up.

I fully intended to get away from the computer, but I suppose that knowing I had that freedom for several hours, I didn't feel like I had to get away from it right that instant. I started off by doing a little upkeep on a webring that I manage, and when my browser started getting tempermental -- something about Geocities and Netscape, ugh! -- I decided it was time to shut down the computer and head out to the porch.

My timing was great; the last of the clouds had blown away, the sun was shining, and the porch was warm and inviting. Two or three of the cats followed me out, and found places in the sun to curl up and snooze. I was hungry, so I went back inside just long enough to prepare a nice meal -- a pork chop with sauteed mushrooms, fresh steamed asparagus, and a spinach salad -- and brought it out to the porch to enjoy.

The other day at the library, I picked up a book entitled Conversations With God -- an uncommon dialogue (actually, it's book three of a series), and I've been turning the pages of it like you wouldn't believe; here it's only two days since I picked it up, and I'm about halfway through the last chapter of a 369 page book! It's fascinating me. I can't say that the author (Neale Donald Walsch) has a direct line to God -- I think it's for each reader to decide for him- or herself -- but he's sure put some interesting ideas into print. I haven't read the first two books of the set yet, but you can bet I'm going to see if my library has them!

Anyway, I was trying to say that I read for a while and ate my lunch, and after I'd taken my dishes back to the kitchen and read a little while longer, I got the urge to find my shoes and head outside. Out I went, and walked around the backyard a while, looking at all the new growth. It was a gorgeous day, not a cloud in sight, and a warm breeze was blowing. A couple times I just stood, facing into the wind and the sun, and closed my eyes, and felt like I was soaring through the air. Yes, I was having a good day!

It wasn't long before I decided to plant my 7 cent morning glory seeds along the wire fence between us and our eastern neighbors. They said to wait until the last chance of frost has passed, but Mom says that would be May here, and I'd like to at least see the starts before I move... and I figured if I planted them too early and a late frost killed them, 7 cents and a few minutes' work wasn't a great deal to lose.

While I was planting the morning glories, I remembered I had a packet of carrot seeds lying around in my room, that I'd meant to plant for mom last year (she likes carrots much more than I do). Back inside for the seeds and the hand tiller, and a plastic grocery bag to sit on, and I was soon at play, removing the grass from our sadly overgrown garden plot, loosening and turning the soil, and gently moving the earthworms to areas I'd already tilled.

I didn't pay any attention to the time, but I imagine I was out there for an hour or so, and I really didn't do all that much. I enjoyed every bit of it though -- even the worms -- and even if last year's seeds don't sprout, I don't care. They wouldn't be ready by time I move anyway, and if they don't come up, and Mom decides to plant something there later this spring or summer, then there's a small patch of earth all ready to go. I've had my enjoyment from the task; it gave me a chance to relax and play in the dirt, and it let my mind wander where it would. Where my mind wandered is fodder for another entry entirely; perhaps tomorrow's.

So, I weeded a bit of the garden today, but it wasn't a chore. Why? Because it was what I wanted to do, and in a way that I wanted to do it; nobody said I had to, or told me how it should be done.

Maybe that's why I did the dishes when I came inside. They were soaking in hot, sudsy water, waiting for someone to make them clean, and the sun was juuuuust shining in the kitchen window, so I plunged right in. Mom came in shortly after I started and said, "I was going to do that..." but when I offered to step aside and let her finish them, she said, "That's okay..." I did get out of cleaning the litterboxes, though; she did that while I finished the dishes.