Mike and Dendra Works Together

This is our Chuck Box. It is made to fit in the back of the van so we can grab it and away we go on our ventures.  It was very interesting to work together drawing up plans, fixing the wood, and putting the box together.

Michael got the wood from a crate that housed a pump for the Plant.  We took all of the nails and staples out.  The pump came from Sweden (I think) and they did not want the box to come apart.  This took quite awhile and we did a great job.  Then we bought the containers that we wanted to put into the box so we could build efficiently.  We took our measurement of the vehicle, items, and wood and the planning began.  To say that we have a hard time explaining what we were thinking or seeing is an understatement.  We think so differently from each other.  We took about 3 days to get where we thought we knew what the other was thinking to start the project.  Together we cut, pasted, nailed, and varnished.  I think that it turned out great.

I learned an interesting thing about why it is so hard for us to communicate our ideas to each other.  I can picture what I will do and see problem before they come up.  Not all the problems but I step by step what I am going to do and what problems they will cause later.  This helps so I can think back to where that problem started and put in the steps that need to prevent that out come.  It makes we ask a lot of questions that I want answers to before I start. This can lead to me never starting.  Michael on the other hand works hands on.  He has the idea of what he wants and he handles the problems as the arise.  He thinks out what has to be done next and does that part as it comes.  This can lead into undoing or fixing something.  But at least he can start a project without having everything just so.

It was such an eye opener to go through my mind the things that we have done together and how frustrating it has been.  I would be asking questions.  Michael would feel like I didn't think he knew what he was doing.  The more questions I would ask the more I was hurting him.  And when I would say we can't do that a certain way.  Meaning I had already seen problems that would come up and that I was trying to help.  He would be hearing "You are so dumb."  And when Michael would say that I could not see what he was saying and I couldn't because he wasn't talking about a few steps and I was thinking about a finished project.  Then I would feel like he was saying I was just to dumb to comprehend a simple project.  I would always be thinking and talking of the finished project and he would be thinking and talking of the next steps.  It was like speaking German and English.  Some things were clear and others were totally unintelligent and insulting.

It is so interesting that we think everyone does things in basically the same way.  We think this way until we can see that they don't.  But even knowing how someone sees things it is hard to get our minds around the differences. But I am glad that we do.  I would never get anything done without all of the answers and Michael would be frustrated when he had done a step to soon and later found out that he just had to leave it or start over.

I love the box!  But I loved learning how we think more.  Our communication can and will be increased in the future because I will listen to what he is saying with new ears and try very hard to speak with a new language that is more clear.