No one likes to think himself a procrastinator, but this is an admission I recently accepted, though rather reluctantly. A few days ago I finally got around to finishing a quilt I started more than three years ago. This not-so-fun project taught me some lessons about myself which might have satisfied philosophers like Socrates who firmly believed it critical that man ‘know thyself.’

I learned that having to be precise is not my forté, which probably explains why I’ve always gravitated towards the fluidness of writing instead of being confined by the decidedness of numbers. Making a quilt involves a lot of measuring, cutting exact shapes, and figuring out calculations, the combination of which made my head hurt. Had I realized this at the outset, I might have reconsidered, probably deciding against the project altogether. It is no coincidence that this catharsis, in which a particular aspect of my personality was described to a T, was discovered while making what is called a t-shirt quilt. God’s sense of humor can be quite amusing.

For as long as I can remember, it’s been easy for me to get overly jazzed about outrageous projects and jump in with both feet before gathering all the pertinent information. By now, I should know myself better, but perhaps unbridled enthusiasm is just part of my fabric. Maybe the world needs zealous souls like me who have a crazy mix of energy and naiveté to get things started without the slightest idea as to how to finish. Maybe this blind trust is actual proof that the universe truly does respond to one’s needs.

“I’ll try anything once and sometimes twice” and “it seemed like a good idea at the time,” are reoccurring themes in my life, and I must admit, those mantras have parlayed into many adventures that, in retrospect, I’m quite proud of. Like the time I took an adult ed sewing class and not only chose to make a pleated skirt for my very first project, but to make it using plaid material. Or thinking it would be a great idea to host our daughter’s wedding on an island off the coast of south Florida, never minding the fact that everything related to the event would have to be transported by boat—both to and from the island—including the wedding party, the guests, the food and drink, the band, the decorations, all the tables and chairs, and all the cooking paraphernalia required by the caterer. Both seemed like a good ideas at the time. And, somehow miraculously, both turned out just fine.

In each instance, having a deadline proved vital…which was the other important lesson I learned by making this quilt. Had there been a deadline, even one that was subject to change, I probably would have finished it much sooner instead of coming across it from time to time at the bottom of my cedar chest and berating myself for not completing yet another project. On the other hand, maybe owning up to our limitations isn’t so bad either; actually, it’s quite liberating. I don’t think I’ll ever have to be concerned about having an unfinished quilt again.

Obviously, I’m still learning about myself and I hope to keep having that kind of hunger until my time on this earth is up. After all, isn’t that what Life is meant to be, experiencing new things and making the most of what we’ve got, including time? We are often reminded that the destination isn’t what’s important, but the journey, and that’s worth remembering. For it’s on this road that we really do find out what it means to ‘know thyself.’