Back when we started the kitchen renovation (Which, may I remind you, is done...it finished up in October of last year, and we've been enjoying the result ever since.), the contractor asked me where I wanted to put everything. The room is small, only 12' x 10', so space couldn't be wasted. And we weren't actually moving any appliances other than the refrigerator, which had been tucked into a bad corner. Everything else either stayed in the same place or was taken out entirely.
"What do you mean?" I asked. "Everything has it's place now, doesn't it?"
"I mean things like the garbage can or the microwave," Bill said.
I didn't have to think about an answer. The one that came to the forefront of my head was almost as quick as a reflex. "I want the garbage to be in the same place it is now, and I'd like for the microwave to be on a shelf, not above the stove."
Bill's eyebrows furrowed and Josh squinted at me. "Okay about the garbage...it makes sense to keep it as it is -- a pull-out, hidden receptacle. But are you sure about the microwave? Most people put their microwaves over the stove."
When we moved into the house, there was room in the kitchen for a microwave. But that space was not over the stove. It was on a high shelf that sat beneath a set of cabinets. It was an eyesore, but I'd gotten used to not having my microwave over the stove, and to be honest, I preferred it that way.
"Nope," I said. "I don't want it over the stove. I don't even care if it's on the countertop."
Bill stepped in. "Don't do that, you'll need the space. But I think we can make a more attractive shelf for the microwave, right here next to the refrigerator."
"Sounds good," I replied.
And here we are, months later, and I'm still glad that I stuck with my original idea. I love my kitchen, I like the choices we made, and I'm happy that my short children can use the microwave without having to stretch over a stove, one that might possibly be hot from time to time.
You might wonder why the hell I'm posting this right now. Did I just feel like telling you that I prefer my microwave in a place other than over the stove? How important is that for you to know? It's not. But I'll tell you this. Sometimes it is a simple decision that can make a difference. Especially when it is a decision you make because you stick to your principles. You listen to yourself and that inner voice. You know what is best for you or for your family, and you don't let other people sway your thoughts. You stay authentic.
It's not easy, but it's doable.
"What do you mean?" I asked. "Everything has it's place now, doesn't it?"
"I mean things like the garbage can or the microwave," Bill said.
I didn't have to think about an answer. The one that came to the forefront of my head was almost as quick as a reflex. "I want the garbage to be in the same place it is now, and I'd like for the microwave to be on a shelf, not above the stove."
Bill's eyebrows furrowed and Josh squinted at me. "Okay about the garbage...it makes sense to keep it as it is -- a pull-out, hidden receptacle. But are you sure about the microwave? Most people put their microwaves over the stove."
When we moved into the house, there was room in the kitchen for a microwave. But that space was not over the stove. It was on a high shelf that sat beneath a set of cabinets. It was an eyesore, but I'd gotten used to not having my microwave over the stove, and to be honest, I preferred it that way.
"Nope," I said. "I don't want it over the stove. I don't even care if it's on the countertop."
Bill stepped in. "Don't do that, you'll need the space. But I think we can make a more attractive shelf for the microwave, right here next to the refrigerator."
"Sounds good," I replied.
And here we are, months later, and I'm still glad that I stuck with my original idea. I love my kitchen, I like the choices we made, and I'm happy that my short children can use the microwave without having to stretch over a stove, one that might possibly be hot from time to time.
You might wonder why the hell I'm posting this right now. Did I just feel like telling you that I prefer my microwave in a place other than over the stove? How important is that for you to know? It's not. But I'll tell you this. Sometimes it is a simple decision that can make a difference. Especially when it is a decision you make because you stick to your principles. You listen to yourself and that inner voice. You know what is best for you or for your family, and you don't let other people sway your thoughts. You stay authentic.
It's not easy, but it's doable.
Comments