I spent so much time and effort making my wall shelf! Then I let it sit behind my couch for a few weeks. Finally, I put it up … and noticed it was taking my wall down!

The walls of my apartment just can’t support such a hefty wall shelf, and so I will donate it (i.e. its pieces?) to the public makerspace that enabled me make it in the first place.

As I mourn my wall shelf, I have 6 thoughts:

This is water

In This is Water, David Foster Wallace provides the parable:

There are these two young fish swimming along and they happen to meet an older fish swimming the other way, who nods at them and says “Morning, boys. How’s the water?” And the two young fish swim on for a bit, and then eventually one of them looks over at the other and goes “What the hell is water?”

Wallace explains:

The point of the fish story is merely that the most obvious, important realities are often the ones that are hardest to see and talk about.

In my case, I didn't see the obvious, important question: will my wall even hold my wall shelf?

Resolve important risks first

As Wallace's parable implies, importance does not stem from interest nor complexity.

I had focused on the interesting, complex parts of the wall shelf, which provided their own reward. However, in practical terms, I should've first resolved the important risk of whether my wall would even hold my wall shelf.

Separate aesthetics from function

I had painstakingly procured, stained, and finished the wood. It fit so well in my style that I half-deluded myself into thinking the wall would certainly hold my wall shelf.

Function, however, does not stem from aesthetics. My aesthetic wall shelf takes my wall down; an un-aesthetic stock wall shelf would've functioned better on my wall.

Fix it or discard it

And so after all of that time and effort, I just have a few holes in my wall to repair.

I considered a few ways to fix the wall shelf situation. However, casting aside my light affection for my wall shelf, none seem worthwhile. So I will let my wall shelf go.

Don’t let your stuff own you

I won't let the wall shelf nor its holes haunt me.

My hands keep moving

I've bought some spackle and some smaller wall shelves to take its place.