A Roof Over My Head
by Gregg Krech
Linda and I have had the privilege of living at the ToDo Institute for the past 32 years. When we first moved in to this house it had a red metal roof. The same type of roof was also on the large barn and the garage. That roof has sheltered us from rain, snow, and ice during our tenure at ToDo. Over time, the roof began to lose its color, and rust spots began to show up – new ones each year. It reminded me of the skin of a human being as we age. You can’t maintain a youthful skin forever and over time it shows its age. Still, the roof maintained its integrity and continued to protect us as it had when our children were young. I feel very grateful for the protection it had provided to me for about half of my adult life.
But since the ToDo Institute is going through renovations, the replacement of the roof became a serious consideration. In time, the roof would no longer be able to do its job. So we began searching for a new roof. We interviewed several roofs, who seemed very nice, but somehow were not a good fit for the job. We finally found the right candidate – a blue standing-seam metal roof (yes, blue). This type of roof has an expected life of 40-50 years. It’s also considered the best type of roof for hosting solar panels, which would be a possibility in the future.
It was both a sad and exciting day when a crew of five workers came out to remove the old roof. If you have been in a situation where you have had a car for many years, you know that it can be sad to say goodbye because your life has been so intertwined with your car. I felt that kind of sadness as I watched the old roof being removed – stripped from the top of the house.
Because of scheduling complications, the new roof couldn’t be installed until three days after the old one was removed. So for three days, Linda and I didn’t have a roof over us. Of course, there was a wooden roof which was the foundation for the old metal roof. And the crew covered the wood with special material that was waterproof. So we were told we had nothing to worry about until the new roof was installed.
But as it happened, that week brought a series of intense rain and thunderstorms. Without our old, trusted roof, we experienced multiple leaks. There was internal damage to the house in several places. Sometimes you don’t really appreciate the value of something until it is no longer there. That can be electricity, heat, a pet, a person, and even a roof. Eventually, a new roof was installed and it is beautiful and has already protected us from intense storms. I’m very grateful to the crew who installed it. It’s a dangerous and difficult job.
I have lived for more than 25,000 days and I always had a roof over my head, except when I was camping. I reflected on the blurry memory of the roof on my childhood home and all the places I had lived in before moving in to the ToDo Institute in 1997. They all had good roofs. But for three days I had no roof, no protection. In a sense, I am glad that I experienced the distress of all the leaks and the worry and frustration of that experience. Having gone through that ordeal, I feel even more fortunate just to get up each day and know that I have a good roof to keep me dry and protect me from stormy skies.
Oh, by the way, our roof has eyes. Really. They are called skylights. These eyes allow you to see the stars, the sun, and the sky. There are five eyes and they are the same in the new roof as they were in the old roof. Five eyes to see the vastness of the universe and remind me that I am not the center of that universe. A strong new roof with wise old eyes. Wow!
Gregg Krech is the Director of the ToDo Institute and the author of five books about Japanese Psychology, including The Art of Taking Action. Gregg will be conducting two residential certification programs in 2024, in Vermont and in Germany.
