Wednesday August 19, 2020
Chuck Dudas
Create
When I was asked about reflecting on the word CREATE, my first thought was I’m not a very creative person. I’m an engineer and most days I’m asked to solve problems with numbers and to use calculations to support my thinking. In many ways, I’m having to operate in a world of black and white. At the same time, I’m not very artistic and certainly not musically-inclined (I have a serious mental block for remembering song lyrics). So on the surface of things, I thought I may not have much to say about CREATE.
But when I reflect further, I find that there are ways that I have been a part of creating something. The most important thing that I have been a part of creating is a family. When my wife (Ally) and I moved to Portsmouth 10 years ago, we moved in part to start a family and put down roots. We each had a notion of what we wanted our family to be but we never could have imagined what our life looks like today with our 3 stubborn, funny, crazy, sweet daughters.
At the same time while pregnant with our oldest daughter, we bought a bank-owned, 2-years vacant house. The location of the house was/is great on a dead end street here in Portsmouth. The state of the house was not great with plaster on the walls & ceiling falling down,a boiler about to fail, bathrooms in disrepair, yard completely overgrown and a pink kitchen. After lots of dirty jobs and long nights, project by project we’ve put this house back together and I’ve helped create a home for my family.
But I’ve also found that creating isn’t limited to large ideas or acts but can be in the small acts such as baking a pie or writing an email.
Reflecting, I realize how strong a power there is in the act of choosing to create. Creating can at times be very hard work and is at times very humbling but I find that at most times it gives me life. Creating can also help me look beyond a daily struggle or frustration and see a bigger picture.
How do you and how have you created things in your life? How has creating things in your life given YOU life?
I would encourage you to make the choice to create today.