Grisham's Lessons #6 Creativity

Grisham was fairly handy, evidenced by the projects and equipment that adorned his shed at the time that The Island Gang came along. Grisham’s shed had three double-wide garage doors at either end of the building, and through the center was twenty-six feet to the ceiling.

He’d built a loft style office in the center of the shed. It was suspended by steel cross members that spanned the width of the shed, allowing for unencumbered access through the middle. A three quarter’s high perpendicular wall installed at the center of the far side of the shed divided one section of the shed front to back. The wall was used to hang boat supplies. Just below the wall a floor drain had been installed. The drain served both sides of the wall, allowing items to be put away following use whether they were wet or dry. Little Imp’s stand took up the floor area on one side of the wall, while her trailer was stored on the opposite side.

The past couple of years Grisham’s creative side had gone into remission. Between the full time care of his terminally ill companion and the grief he felt at watching her health deteriorate rapidly it was all he could do to manage daily duties.

Then The Island Gang came into his life. Seeing their desire to get out on the water, and feeling their youthful zeal for life, creativity returned. Once Little Imp was ready for use, he immediately saw the need the kids would have of getting the boat from the shed to the boat launch. Back in the day it had been fine to leave the boat down at the beach, however with all of the work that had been done to Little Imp it was too risky to leave her out in the open where she would be subject to weather and vandalism. Grisham went to work in the garage, and invented a boat dolly. The boat dolly was basically a contraption that turned the boat into an oversized wheelbarrow. It took effort, but working together the kids were able to get the boat to the beach and back. Necessity is the mother of invention, and that is only augmented by the desire to help those who are not in a position to help themselves.