Start with something simple

Once, long long ago I had a blog.  As I recall it was a pretty good one, at least by blogging standards of 7-8 years ago.  I'm sure the bar has been raised significantly since then.  Nevertheless, here goes nothing.  It is worth noting that I am typing at a disadvantage, as Wesley has seen fit to remove several keys from the keyboard of my laptop.

Tessa and I are moved into a new house, which just might be actually big enough.  As with any house there always seems to be something to fix.  One thing which I set to immediately was fixing the fluorescent light in the garage.  As most of our life still resides in boxes stationed in the garage, light becomes pretty important.  The bulbs flickered like a strobe light.  I went to Lowes and bought new bulbs.  The new bulbs didn't even flicker, didn't seem to do anything.  So, knowing a little bit about that sort of thing I form assumptions.  "Ah, must be a bad ballast.  So 40 dollars later I have a new ballast.  I install the ballast, flip the switch...and nothing happens.  "Weird" thought I.  Must be the lamp holders.  So after installing new lamp holders, I flip the switch.  Again, nothing.  "Hmm, maybe a bad switch."  New switch installed.  Flip new switch, (drumroll please)...nothing.  A few Google searches, wiring diagrams and pulled out hairs later, still no light.  Tessa, watching my frustrations grow to a fever pitch, makes an observation.  "Maybe one of the new bulbs is bad."  I almost dismiss the suggestion but at this point, I'm out of options.  I replace the new light bulb with the least burned out looking of the two "bad" bulbs and flip the switch.  "LET THERE BE LIGHT!"  A humbling experience to be sure.

A lesson to us all, especially us snarky IT know it all guys.  And this applies to more than just light bulbs and computers.  (Although before calling the IT guy stating that your computer doesn't work you should at least make sure it's plugged in.)  It applies to life as well.  Is someone you love having difficulty?  Maybe they just need someone to talk to, and maybe they just need you to listen, without trying to "solve" their problem.  Before you get all complicated, try thinking simple.