Recently at work, I was offered the task of applying a new coat of paint on the walls. It originally explained to me as a series of "murals." The artist inside of me leapt for joy at the opportunity to fill hallways upon hallways and a multitude of rooms with unique and inspiring stories, that would be looked upon for generations to come. I thought this opportunity was too good to be true, and I waited with bated breath for a month to hear the catch, to see the fine print that might ruin a dream come true. The catches came quickly and one after another, as I learned that only one wall would be filled with unique work, the rest filled with cartoon characters and scenes, complete with their very own copyright color-by-number guide to buying paint, and directions on how to get results exactly like every other company that chose to purchase the template set.
My heart fell and my anger began to well up in my stomach, thoughts racing through my head as I tried desperately to save the ideas I had already meticulously cultivated into stunning works of art in my head. One by one, they were cut away from me in lieu of the replicated, comic sans-esque, life-size clip art. The artist in me screamed that this was a mistake, that this was not good enough and that so much better could be done if only there was enough patience to sacrifice a little more time.
We live in a world that values the quick fixes. The cheap, easy remedies. So often we do things "just to hold us over" or "just for now" with the expectation of returning later with the effort we just don't have right now. It hurts, to have such high dreams and aspirations for everything around you. So often in life we are disappointed. So often we settle for less than the best, in ourselves and in our environments. We play things safe with whatever is "good enough," to save effort, or money, or time.
Through the years my father, a remodel contractor, has shown me that houses are built with varying degrees of long term quality, often substituted for price, and speed. He has shown me through the work of his own hands, and the satisfaction of his customers, that high quality work will always be rewarded, despite the additional effort required to see it through. He always taught me to do things fully, and well. When you skip steps, you lose value. Working with less than your best effort is to forfeit quality. I was taught that the high quality things in life were the only things that could truly stand the test of time. The difference has always been clear to his clients and the world. High quality things, people, and ideas can be easily sifted out by the passage of time or with a well trained mind. Buildings well made will weather the storm.
So why do we choose to settle for less? When will it truly be unacceptable to leave things lackluster? Why do we no longer expect a job well done? It never ceases to astound me, that someone would settle for less than their best.
Especially when they know that in the long run, it isn't what they want.
I wish that my story had a happy ending. That I was granted the time and the artistic freedom to use my talents fully and well. Instead, production continued on the cartoon walls with the promise that "This is only a short term substitute". As if I was supposed to be comforted by the fact that my time and effort were to be spent on a project that had no significant long term value.
Still I am thankful for those in this world like me, who see the value in quality to be priceless in the face of efficiency. Who know a job well done when they see it, and who never put less than their best into everything they do. The people who have the patience to pursue a greater purpose, a deeper meaning, and a more significant history. I am thankful for the people who do not cut corners, who are willing to do more than the minimum requirements.
It comforts me, knowing that some of us still like to take the road less traveled by.
