The Slumping Deck: A Lesson in Time, Money and Memory

I'm standing on my garden deck this morning, a definite slump in the middle causing me slight dismay. I know the cause for a fact: a main structural beam has failed. I built that decking over twenty years ago just after my brother passed away. Looking back, I now realize I started the project as a way to keep busy and cope with grief.

Yet, here and now, the question resurfaces: should I spend money to have someone fix it, or should I invest my time and do it myself? For me, it's an easy choice; I enjoy working with wood and find great satisfaction in completing projects like this. The satisfaction of creation, the calm of focused work, and the personal story these efforts bring into our lives often outweigh a purely financial calculation.

I'm reminded of Charlie Munger's phrase, "Invert, always invert." Interpreting this idea more loosely, I can see how others might view this equation very differently. This personal dilemma is a small microcosm in the spirit of the "time value of money" problem. Should your time be better spent elsewhere on things that appeal to you, and could your money be more wisely deployed on other investments? The crux of the matter is the realization that both time and money are finite resources, and we must use our best judgment on how to consume these valuable commodities to the betterment of our own lives.

Who would have thought that such complex financial concepts could extend to simply fixing a common garden deck? But on this occasion, I only have to know it will remind me of my brother. We had a wonderful childhood together.

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