The Quest for Perfection

I have felt an immense sense of pressure lately while designing a client's "dream home". It is a time-consuming and extensive process and I want -- for everyone's benefit -- for it to turn out perfectly.

Perfection is such a ridiculous word.

Obviously everyone at the table has their own ideas and visions of what the end result will be and those ideas often don't match up as nicely as one would hope. I've have had to remind myself (and the client) lately that numerous compromises --for numerous reasons -- must be made in order to actually get something built.

It's frustrating.

I was comforted today, however, after watching a documentary about Frank Lloyd Wright; who is often referred to as "The Greatest Domestic Architect of the 20th Century". It was revealed that in his quest for the perfect residence he was revising, remodeling, and reworking some of his greatest works right up until his death.

So I suppose if it was a lifelong quest for Frank Lloyd Wright then my only hope is to live two lifetimes if I have any chance of getting it right.

In that case I guess I should just smile and enjoy the journey...

Lessons on Fatherhood

Everytime I read this poem by Shel Silverstein I think of my relationship with my dad:

SMART
My dad gave me one dollar bill
'Cause I'm his smartest son,
And I swapped it for two shiny quarters
'Cause two is more than one!

And then I took the quarters
And traded them to Lou
For three dimes -- I guess he don't know
That three is more than two!

Just then along came old blind Bates
And just 'cause he can't see
He gave me four nickels for my three dimes,
And four is more than three!

And I took the nickels to Hiram Coombs
Down at the seed feed store,
And the fool gave me five pennies for them,
And five is more than four!

And then I went and showed my dad,
And he got red in the cheeks
And closed his eyes and shook his head--
Too proud of me to speak!

[I hope Shel doesn't mind if I add my own poetry to the end of this post]

I know we don't give each other hugs
As much as we maybe could
I know we don't say 'I love you'
As much as we maybe should

But I know what I know
Because you're my dad
And I know that I know
That is sure makes me glad

So thanks for teaching me how
To earn and save a nickel and a dime
And thanks for bailing me out
'Cause I didn't listen most of the time

I love you dad!

Bein' A Dad

These song lyrics by Loudon Wainwright III seem to sum up my feelings about being a dad pretty well:

Bein' a dad isn't so bad
Except that you gotta feed 'em
You gotta shoe 'em and clothe 'em
And try not to loathe 'em
Bug 'em and hug 'em and heed 'em

Bein' a dad can sure make you mad
Man it even can drive you crazy
It's as hard as it looks
You gotta read them dumb books
And you end up despising Walt Disney

Bein' a dad starts to get radical
When they turn into teenagers
You gotta tighten the screws
Enforce the curfews
Confiscate weapons and pagers

But a daughter and son
Can be sort of fun
Just as long as they don't defy you
They'll treat you like a king
They'll believe anything
They're easy to frighten and lie to

Bein' a dad (bein' a dad)
Bein' a dad (bein' a dad)
Bein' a dad can make you feel glad
When you get paperweights and aftershave lotions
Yeah it feels pretty great when they graduate
That's when you're choked with emotions

But bein' a dad takes more than a tad of
Good luck and divine intervention
You need air-tight alibis
Fool proof disguises
Desperation's the father of invention

So sometimes you take off
For a few rounds of golf
And you stay away for half of their lifetimes
The result of it all is
You're captured and hauled up
Before a tribunal for dad crimes

Bein' a dad (bein' a dad)
Bein' a dad (bein' a dad)
Bein' a dad can make you feel sad
Like you're the insignificant other
Yeah right from the start
They break your heart
In the end every kid wants his mother