The Best of Intentions

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During the coarse of life, we may plan on doing things but not getting around to them. We think we have the best intentions yet for many reasons we never accomplish our goals.

Our parents have the best intentions for us by exposing us to the arts, providing us with never ending education, introducing us to influential people, while mentoring us in the ways of producing success in life.

Yet, sometimes, even the best of intentions can come awry.

The other day I took my bike to the local repair shop to get some brake cables adjusted. It wasn’t a difficult or time intensive process and it didn’t cost anything (I’m a good customer), but it made me think of my cycling intentions.

At one time in my life, I bought all the books and the tools to maintain my bikes. Now bikes have not changed that much since they were invented so with a little bit of knowledge, the right set of tools, and repetitive practice, today’s bicycle can be easily kept in tiptop performance condition.

When I bought my backyard shed, I had the best intention of using it as a workshop, wood working in one corner and bike storage and service in another. This time would be “my” time to use hand tools something I had not been exposed to by my parents but felt it would give me a sense of accomplishment to do-it-myself.

Soon I found out I was neither interested nor skilled in this manual labor. Either I had the wrong size tool or tire or the tube had become dry rotted in the heat or I became frustrated by repetitive failures. Even with the support of my wife, my best intentions had failed and I returned to having even minimal repairs to the experts for a price.

Thinking of some of the best intentions my parents had for me I realized I went through the same process. Golf became uninteresting due to other player’s competitive frustrations, tennis quickly changed to fast cars and girls (even more frustrating), sailing required living close to the water, country club affairs became excuses to drink and act badly knowing there would be no recourse, and even playing music required studying.

There is always an excuse to put off your best intentions.

Now some of my friends followed their dreams with their best intentions and some succeeded while others failed. Those who succeeded either continued to find new adventures or pushed aside other responsibilities like children or marriages for self-gratification.

Even personal relationships can have the best intentions when beginning. What can start as a harmless idea of helping or finding an answer or filling a void may have overbearing ramifications to its outcome? The best intentions can be side tracked by jealousy, trust, compatibility or simply the realization that it was the wrong decision.

I lay awake at night going over my to-do list with the best intentions of getting to them the next day and yet the next night I review and the same task stand before me.

Perhaps I need to go out and buy a round to-it?