Structural Integrity and a Fruitful Life

What's the connection?

Sometimes, it’s necessary to prune the unproductive, or less productive, branches of your life.

1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

John 15: 1-2

We, are the branches.

The Brain Dump

Christmas morning I awoke at 4 a.m. with too much on my mind. When that happens my modus operandi is to get up and write down everything that is crossing through my mind; when that’s done I can get back to sleep, and take it on at a more opportune time, like now.

Christmas morning brain dump

“Dump” is probably a good word for it, but I usually think of it as a bowl of spaghetti noodles, and the task at hand is to straighten out and organize the noodles, dry them, and get them into a box. Once everything is better organized, I can do the work of assessing and improving the situation. And that’s what this post is intended to accomplish.

Problem Solving

In the problem solving lingo the “presenting problem” is the thing staring you in the face, an engine that won’t run, a flat tire, unruly oxen, etc. A good example is the recent “problem,” written about in two successive Newsletters, the first being Newsletter #238, and followed by Newsletter #239. The obvious issue was that after replacing the water pump the engine ran roughly and actually stopped running after at most a minute or so. The OBD (On-Board Diagnostics) threw off a DTC (Diagnostic Trouble Code) of P0300, “Random Misfire Detected.” A quick internet search revealed the following possible causes:

From autocodes.com

• Faulty spark plug(s)

• Faulty ignition coil(s)

• Clogged or faulty fuel injector(s)

• Intake air leak

• Fuel injectors harness is open or shorted

• Fuel Injectors circuit poor electrical connection

• Ignition coils harness is open or shorted

• Ignition coils circuit poor electrical connection

• Insufficient cylinders compression

• Incorrect fuel pressure

Given that I had just replaced the water pump, and in doing so had disturbed both electrical connections and air intake/vacuum ducts and lines, I restated the problem in my mind:

Either an air leak or an electrical connection issue is causing poor air/fuel mixture management, resulting in misfires in multiple cylinders. I visually checked the electrical connections that I had disturbed and found no issues, then I checked for a vacuum leak using starter fluid and found the problem; a missing o-ring behind the throttle body. A well-stated problem is a prerequisite to effective problem solving.

Okay…that’s an example of getting from a statement of the presenting problem, to one, or two in this case, root causes that I can actually go to work on. Let’s apply that to the bowl of spaghetti above.

Sorting and Cleaning-up the Brain Dump

This all started with a conversation with a brother-in-law at dinner on Christmas eve; he allowed that he had missed my Friday Newsletter; hell, I didn’t even know that he read my Newsletter! I’m confident that many of you have also noticed a significant increase in late or missing Newsletters. But, and as is usually the case, late or missing Newsletters are just the tip of the iceberg that the brain dump represents. After years of solving problems I can say unequivocally, there is no such thing as a “one-off” problem; if you see it in one place and one time, you can bet your ass it, or something that looks a lot like “it,” is to be found in other places and at other times. Such is life.

So what we have here is a lot of other “stuff” that is not getting done, or is being done poorly:

• loss of sawmill business

• the oxen:

  • lack of “time” for training and use

  • lack of the necessary “kit” (a properly sized yoke, wagon tongues, stone boat, etc.)

  • lack of corral, housing and fencing

• slow turnaround/renovation and marketing of the Farmhouse

• slow Maple Syrup business

• video production value = 0 = raw video (being posted to Rumble)

• radio not working in the truck - for months

• etc., etc., ad nauseum

Especially with respect to the farm, the analogy of trying to build the airplane while flying it is apropos. Of course we could just throw money at the problem(s), but that is not sustainable; everything we are doing must be profitable in some sense of the word, we cannot suffer “loss leaders.” Being profitable in the financial sense is no exception; the farm and Primal Woods are not sustainable long-term without profit.

Having said that, we have hired some help to work on marketing, which is a gap that I don’t have the expertise, personality, or inclination to fill. But what can I do?

Improving the Structural Integrity of a Life

What are we talking about when we say “structural integrity?” Let me provide a little background before I get to that. I met Geri and her friend Susan in October of 2008; it struck me instantly that these two were “on fire” for life. And whatever it was that they were drinking, I wanted some of it for myself; I was just coming off a very low low in my life. What came up was Landmark Education, now known as Landmark Worldwide. In 2009 I completed the “Curriculum for Living,” a three-course series, and subsequent to that Geri and I completed a number of courses together. It was in one of these courses, I cannot remember which, that the notion of structural integrity, applied to my life, came up. Here is a definition, which I find fitting, from Lifetech Engineering:

Structural integrity is the ability of an item—either a structural component or a structure consisting of many components—to hold together under a load, including its weight, without breaking or deforming excessively. It assures that the construction will perform its designed function during reasonable use, for as long as its intended life span. Items are constructed with structural integrity to prevent catastrophic failure, which can result in injuries, severe damage, death, and/or monetary losses.

I think that definition is as well-suited to a life as it is to, for example, a bridge. The example used by Landmark was that of a bicycle wheel. Or, think of the entire bike:

Exploded view of a bicycle

In the context of the bicycle we can think about two use-cases and the attendant “loads” on the structure:

1. The first bike, one-speed, coaster brakes, training wheels and so on, being ridden at not much better than walking speed, on level ground, with dad running alongside holding onto the back off the seat and encouraging the rider, while protecting the child, and

2. the second bike, no training wheels to be sure, ten speeds or more, caliper brakes, dad is nowhere to be found, and a Tour de France rider hurtling down some mountain in the Alps, possibly achieving a maximum speed of 63 mph, on a bike weighing at most 20 lbs.

In the first case there is little risk of a breakdown causing serious injury or death. That bike in the Tour though, and its every component, must weigh as little as possible, and be bulletproof in its structural integrity; winning, and the rider’s life, literally depend on it.

With that in mind, and putting first things first, I think I need to do a little (more) re-structuring of my life, and to mix my metaphors, include the removal of some unproductive branches, and prune-back of some other insufficiently fruitful branches. This year in particular, 2023, starting the internship program, and getting the oxen, managing the goats, laying hens and meat birds, pigs, etc., while building-out the farm infrastructure (fencing, housing, feeding and watering the animals), in addition to the sawmill service and pure maple syrup businesses, resulted in more load than my current level of structural integrity would support. It’s that simple, I think. That’s really my problem statement. The bike is not up to the Tour de France challenge. And I will argue that this applies to all of us; the more you take on, the stronger and more resilient your life’s structure must be to withstand the forces acting upon you.

I will add one unexpected and unplanned factor in 2023; both Geri and I spent four days in hospital this year, but eight days does not come close to the totality of the lost time. The stays and emotional toll took time and energy neither of us had in sufficient reserve, and set us back significantly. Suffering ill-health or injury is absolutely unaffordable in any sense of the word.

What Was, and What’s to Come

As I said, I’ve been at this for almost 15 years, but there are some high points I will mention. Geri and I eliminated the TV early in our work. We still watch the occasional movie, especially around the holidays, or a video on Rumble and such, but it’s not hours and hours a week. Probably the biggest change so far; I quit drinking 7 years ago this month. I’ve often said, “how I got anything done while drinking and watching TV is beyond me.” Both TV and drinking are monumental wastes of time and energy; at least they were in my case. Two or three years ago I gave up Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube. This year I dropped the iPhone and went back to a flip phone; that too has freed up time, and avoided energy leaks attendant to the crap that flows so freely on social media. That’s the big ones that come instantly to mind, and I have to remember that I have been improving. But what now?

First; the last time I was really in fighting trim, physically, was 2019. I turned 60 that year, and I was without doubt in the best shape of my life. No kidding. I can remember writing in my journal on numerous occasions that my brain was “on fire,” in a good way. If a body is not in its optimal state, neither can be the mind; the two are inextricably linked. The first thing I must get to in 2024 is fighting trim, which will require elevation of my self-discipline to new heights.

2 Timothy 1:7 New International Version

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

I wrote a series of three posts on the Primal Woods blog about the results of my 2019 efforts. This then, is the first of the first things.

Second; “energy leaks” must be eliminated to the extent possible. I made note of that in the brain dump, and it is important. In my experience, the biggest energy leaks are caused by unresolved relationship issues. Just sayin’. We all have them to some extent, in our immediate family, circle of close friends, the boss or co-workers, etc. Breakdowns in these key relationships cause massive energy leaks. And unfortunately, again as we all know, these relational “problems” can be some of the most difficult to resolve. Still, the work must be done.

Third; I cannot continue to build the airplane (farm) while flying it (managing animals I’ve not adequately prepared for). Doing so results in some serious inefficiencies that I simply do not have the time or energy to address. Specifically, the infrastructure to support efficient animal husbandry must be in place before the animals arrive! And even more specifically, that means we probably won’t take on sheep until 2025. In the meantime we will work on fencing, providing water without having to haul it, feeding processes and equipment, and necessary shelter(s).

Fourth; my approach to providing firewood needs to change. Throughout the year, as I take down dead trees, or selectively remove trees, I buck the log(s) up into firewood rounds and stack them where I am. During heating season I will go out, usually with the tractor and a pallet, and collect enough rounds to provide heat for a day or two. I’m spending a lot more time doing this every couple of days than I would doing in every of couple of weeks, or every couple of months. Or every year. As much as I hate to do it, for the sake of efficient use of my time, I’m going to have to make a concerted effort in summer and early fall to put up all necessary firewood, near the boiler, to provide heat for the entire season.

Fifth; Geri and I will have to reevaluate the internship program. This is an example, potentially, of pruning back a branch that is fruitful, but not as fruitful as it can be. We really, really enjoyed the interns. It’s safe to say, we love them, each and every one. That fact alone will make this a tough chore. And finally,

Sixth; we must focus on improving the things we do have, and can make the time and energy to support, including the laying hens, meat birds, the oxen, and pigs, the Farmhouse, Sawmill Services, and Pure Maple Syrup. “Just” that, as I look at it, together with building the farm infrastructure, will be a tough climb.

So there you have it. And that’s just at first glance. Even before the all-important work of accurately defining the problem, is admitting that there is a problem. Ignoring problems much to my chagrin, doesn’t make them go away. Geri finally got me to understand that, and it is spot on. Take the time, make the time, to reflect on 2023. I will (probably) write a post on what was accomplished in 2023, if for no other reason than to make myself feel a little better about my failures in 2023, to put them in context if you will.

Remember:

Reflect - Identify and Define Problems - Prioritize Problems - Solve Problems - Repeat

Believe me when I tell you, there is a never-ending supply of problems. The hope is that future problems are smaller, and come less frequently. Just keep cranking the problem solving handle and you will be just fine, better in fact.