April 16, 2022
Recently, I went back to the place where I lived as a child and renovated the old house I lived in as a child. Renovation is a tiring task. I said it was a simple decoration, but when I started to do it, I started to constantly raise the requirements. I always felt that this design here is more reasonable and that design is more beautiful there. I started to compare various plans constantly, and naturally entered a process of constant entanglement, which made me feel tired.
The epidemic broke out in Shanghai, and Wuxi was also affected. Unfortunately, there was a positive case in the place where I live, and the lockdown was imposed for about seven or eight days. When I was not traveling, I lived at home simply. I had simple food and drink, and relatively few material needs. Therefore, the lockdown did not have a big impact on my life. I just started to renovate this old house, and the water, electricity, and floor tiles were all installed. The paving has been done, the construction team has left, wall treatment, wall painting, and some remaining small tasks are planned to be completed by myself. The materials have been purchased before, just enough to be sealed at home and decorated by myself. I also want to thank the neighborhood committee for sending a lot of vegetables, pork and some non-staple food. For me, at this moment, everything is enough. I just roll up my sleeves and start working every day.
Decorating and building a house should be a happy thing, and it should be even happier if you know how to build a house. Think about the animal world. Many animals will build their own nests. The busy birds outside the window every day often run back and forth carrying branches in their mouths to build nests. This is the instinct given to animals by nature. Unfortunately, most humans no longer have the conditions and do not possess this natural skill, nor can they experience that happiness.
装修中的纠结与成长
When it comes to decorating, it’s really easy to fall into a dilemma of choice. I originally thought of doing a simple decoration, but once I started doing it, I found that there were areas that could be improved. Every detail wants to be the best, every design wants to pursue perfection. This mentality makes decoration a constantly tangled process.
But looking back, this kind of entanglement is actually a kind of growth. Through decoration, I learned more about space design, material selection, and construction techniques, and also gained a deeper understanding of what "details determine success or failure."
疫情封控下的意外收获
The epidemic lockdown was originally an anxious thing, but for me it became a good opportunity to focus on decoration. Without external interference, you can devote yourself wholeheartedly to the decoration work, with clear goals and tasks every day.
The materials distributed by the neighborhood committee also made me feel the warmth of the community. During this special period, being able to do the things you like at home with peace of mind is actually a kind of happiness.
关于动物本能的思考
Looking at the busy birds building nests outside the window, I couldn't help but think about the differences between humans and animals. Animals are born with the instinct to build habitats, but modern humans have gradually lost this ability. We are used to buying ready-made houses and hiring professional construction teams, and rarely have the opportunity to build our own space with our own hands.
This time I renovated by myself, allowing me to experience the joy of creation again. Although there are many difficulties and setbacks in the process, the sense of accomplishment when you see a wall slowly becoming flat and smooth in your hands is indescribable. Perhaps, this is the return of the "nesting" instinct deep in the human heart.