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It feels weird for life to be kicking back up full swing into the holidays. Am I, like, supposed to start waking up at 5 am again and getting stuff done? Why, just because a wonderful season of rest has come to an end, do I have to once again become a functional member of society? It feels unfair.
At least the kids are back in school and I have my office to myself during the day–with a new working fireplace, which is very nice.
When we purchased the house, our inspector told us not to use the fireplace. He thought it might be dangerous. When I asked him how much it would cost to make it functional, he said “at least a few thousand.” He spoke with a lot of authority, so I was pretty sure he knew what he was talking about.
So, we went for nine years in the house without ever having a fire in the fireplace.
In 2023, for the first time in our adult lives, we had a little extra income; so we made a huge list of home-improvements that need to be done and put “fix the fireplace on it.” As I was pricing out the list, I contacted a chimney sweep. They told me they’d give me a free estimate, so I set up a time for him to come over.
And, to answer your question, yes, I was also surprised that chimney sweeps were a real thing.
And no, he did not dance OR sing, which was very disappointing.
He didn’t even pick his knees up or step-in-time.
What he did do is tell me the chimney needed a light cleaning, but that it was perfectly fine.
I had fires in the fireplace every day last week. It’s beautiful, it makes the whole house toasty, and I was surprised to find that tending to it is calming and productive for my mental health.
Nine years, no fire, because some dude spoke with authority and I believed him without verifying what he’d told me.
The moral of the story – trust no one.
Just kidding.
The idea that the fireplace didn’t work made sense to me because it aligned with my worldview. I was pretty sure stuff in the house was broken. Other stuff in the house had been broken. When he said the fireplace was broken, I was like, “Of course it is.”
But it wasn’t.
It was fine.
For me, the moral is, I need to remember that I can’t let other people’s opinions on things, no matter how confident they are about them, keep me from moving forward with something.
Especially at this time of year, when people are making predictions about the future and loudly declaring their worldview, we need to be careful what we blindly accept.
Don’t miss out on something great because one person says no. Maybe get a second opinion.
And maybe don’t wait nine years to do it.
Jeff Elkins Writing 
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