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The loft
Off the Wall
April 26, 2007
A couple years after I bought my residence some
thirty years ago, I, along with a contractor came up with an
idea to take part of some space above my store beneath the ceiling
and build a loft that would serve multiple purposes.
At first, I bought inexpensive metal shelves which
erected stood some 24 inches above the floor. On them, I stacked
old invoices. It was the perfect place for such a purpose. They
would be out of the way, yet kept together for future reference.
But there was so much more space to be utilized.
Before long, I would journey up the eight foot step
ladder and just sit on the plywood floor enjoying the peace and
quiet of an area isolated from noise, walk-in traffic or other
sounds that occupy most other types of business.
One day, I became so attached to my cubby hole,
so to speak, that I took a carton of ice tea, a book and some
pillows and spent the day in my four by eight foot cubicle enjoying
the words of the author, sipping on my drink and enjoying the
comforts of life. There is something to be said for putting a
little time aside and relaxing in an atmosphere of peace and
quiet.
A good number of years later when our children were
growing up, my daughter, in particular, would take a friend to
the loft to play. They, along with their imaginary friends, formed
The Loft Club. Only those in exclusive membership were allowed
to climb the stairs to that out-of-the-way secluded play land.
Recently, while cleaning out that area, I found
a piece of fomeboard with the words on it The Loft Club.
Under the title were the following names: Kelsey (my daughter),
Maria, Kimmy and another name I couldn't make out. Oh what memories
that brought back.
Years later, I started a new project in my castle.
I decided to rebuild the attic, wallboard and carpet it. At first,
I would ascend to the third floor and just sit there looking
over the whole project. Many days would go by and that is all
I'd do. I imagine I could have proceeded to tear down areas and
cart the debris away, but I didn't do that. Instead, I found
the peace and quiet so inviting, that sitting and absorbing the
silence was much more to my liking. Eventually, I did buckle
down and go at it.
I did have to get contractors in to help me. One
did some of the carpentry I couldn't muster, and the other, a
carpeting company laid the rug.
After completion, I would often go up to the third
floor and organize my library, do some writing including checks
on a desk that I had built.
I had now two places which I could call my quiet
spaces.
Thinking back when I was in high school, my father
did something similar. He hired someone to come in and build
an office on the third floor of our house in Oakmont. This was
also considered our attic floor. Many times after coming home
from work, he would climb two flights of stairs and enter his
room just right of the staircase where he would then close his
door and take advantage of quiet time.
Even while living in Ligonier, upon entering my
parents' house, I always knew where to find him. Loving to do
research, he was always at his desk thumbing through some books
or papers and then noting facts and figures. Writing to government
officials was always big on his list. The country's concerns
were his also, and he always let the president, senators and
representatives know how he felt concerning each issue.
Recently, a friend of mine converted his garage
area into a nifty little shop space for making fishing lures.
After methodically figuring out where everything would be placed,
he did some rearranging, put in wallboard, flooring, a heater,
etc.
I asked him one day, "How is your new hobby
coming along?"
He responded, "Right now, I am just enjoying sitting
out there enjoying the peace and quiet. I haven't started doing
anything yet."
The interesting thing is he didn't have to go into
detail. I knew exactly what he meant.
After all, I experienced the same type of thing twice before.
It goes without saying that each of us should
sit back and let our thoughts catch up with us. Having a special
place for such purposes is truly special.
Paul j. volkmann
3/23/07
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