I'm up with the chickens, which means very early. Looking out over the property toward the eastern horizon of the world, I see the roseate fingers of dawn working their way up the backside.
For me, this is the time of day to get an early start if one is to be had. Because if I wait until it's later, the time for an early start will have passed. So here I am.
The minutes I have -- each one is precious. So precious, in fact, that it's getting to be true that each minute I use doing one thing is one I'm stealing from something else. It's a fierce schedule I'm keeping. I'm wearing too many hats. I'm juggling a lot of duties these days in the business of industry.
There will be quite a few orders -- accounts payable and accounts receivable, as well -- in my mail, I'd guess. These won't be just for me (I'm serving as an agent for some of my neighbors), even though I'm working on some of my own industries, and there likely will be some bills coming in from neighbors for supplies and other help they've given me. Fortunately I'm able to balance out those with a few accounts receivable that I have in everyone else's mail, so they'll also be up early trying to get off their payments to me before sending out their own bills.
These days, with all this fierce activity, juggling all these duties, wearing so many hats, seeing that the work of industry grinds on, I'm getting a first hand understanding of the old phrase "cash flow." I'm getting a first rate education on the subject. Back before I had a hand in the flow of cash, I used to picture it (the phrase) in very literal terms, such as cash flowing through a pipe somewhere. In my defense, at the bank they literally did have cash in a container being shot through a pipe, some sort of pneumatic sending/receiving device that, now that I think of it, would make a terrific knock-off for someone in this neighborhood, like me, if I had the time...
Anyway, in addition to all those matters, I still am something of a spokesman for the Residential Industrial Movement, answering various press queries about how things are going, and who else they can talk to, who there would be who has a few minutes time to talk to them. Because that's the way it is for most of us -- everyday we're looking at a fierce schedule, we're juggling a lot of duties, and we're wearing a lot of hats. I have neighbors who are so busy they're barely able to mow the little tufts of grass left on their property or change their pants. They're either out oiling a forklift or buffing their signage if they can find a spare second to do it.
And I'm trying to be faithful to this, writing the blog, trying to document the whole thing, with the belief I have that there's someone out there with enough time on his hands that he can read it. It's a real sacrifice for me, so obviously I hope it's not in vain. All the duties I'm juggling, I can barely spare a moment. The fierce schedule I'm on, it's go go go! And all the hats I'm wearing, it's getting to the point where it's almost too many. And yet I press on, getting up early, getting an early start on the day, hoping that everything will get done that needs to be done.
Does it wear on me? I'd be a liar if I just gave a flat "no." It's wearing on me somewhat, I'll leave it at that. It could be that I've bit off more than I can chew. I hope not. I'm definitely going to keep trying. I'm not giving up. But at some point I can see that I might have to pare back on some of it. Certainly the accounts payable and the accounts receivable stuff has to be kept up. I need to pay for my goods and supplies or they won't send them to me. And everyone else has to pay me or I won't be sending them anything either or doing tasks for them. So those two things are inviolable. What there is that might be pared back, that's for another day to decide.
The Residential Industrial Movement goes on, ever onward and upward, a fierce schedule for all involved, with lots of hats and duties.
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