What To Do When Your Chert Is More “irt” than “cher”

It rained . . . and by rain, I mean all day for several days.

Normally, it’s not a big deal. We have lived out here for 24 years, so we are used to it.

The problem was not us, but the people that were coming out to the house for the first time for a birthday party.

And the problem of the rain was compounded by the fix to a problem of large holes in the driveway.

By large holes, I mean small valleys that could swallow a car.

We drive four-wheel-drive vehicles, so we don’t notice. My dad drives an Altima. Believe me, HE noticed.

I called at the first of the week to see about getting some chert delivered. My original plan had been to use the tractor to get chert from the top of our property, but I realized that there wouldn’t be time to get it all done before the party.

I needed help.

The chert had more “irt” than “cher” which might not have been a problem if not for the rain.

I saw the weather report and new I needed to make some adjustments. I called the local rental shop and reserved a compactor. If you have never used a compactor I’m not sure I know how to describe it. Picture those vibrating exercise machines of old and make the sound about as high pitched as a weed-eater.

So, I get the compactor, fire up the tractor, and start to work . . . and apparently, the combination was the equivalent of a rain dance because that was about the time the rain started.

It turns out, you can’t compact mud. What you can do is get the compactor stuck because it creates a sucking force that requires superpowers to break loose.

When you get more “irt” than “cher” you have to find a way to do what you can.

Keep Going

Make use of what you have. I used some of the chert from the base of our old above ground pool to fill in several spots. It may not have been perfect, but it was a workaround for the moment in the situation that I had.

Be okay with what you have. It’s never going to be perfect – and even if it could be you won’t see it unless you choose to see it. See the good in where you are and you find a way to be okay even when perfection isn’t obtained.

Don’t keep trying what didn’t work. It was bad enough getting the compactor stuck the first time. I had no excuse for the second and third time other than wishful thinking. I worked around those spots after the third stuck struggle and focused on what did work.

Remember the important things. The driveway was muddy but the party was still a hit. The only person that said anything about the one thing I was worried about was the one person I asked. The most important thing was visiting and engaging with each other and the rest was just a thing.

Sometimes the plan you have doesn’t work out the way you expected or wanted. Sometimes the chert you have delivered has more “irt” in it than “cher” which leaves you with a muddy drive.

Keep going anyway. You can still get to where you need to be, even if you have to wash some mud off the tires once you arrive.

Be blessed,

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