The Smell of Paint

Today, the building that I live in did a seemingly good deed. They re-painted the hallway outside my apartment - including the door through which I enter. Although this is generally a good event, it does create some temporary pain.

Firstly, the building failed to publicly notify the tenants prior to the painting. So my relatively clumsy nature caused me to press my arm against the wet door. Secondly, the strong stench of paint has permeated into my apartment causing unpleasant side-effects. So although the hallways and doorways do look better, there will be a few days of minor suffering.

So why do I bring this up? Because it shows that the old cliche - "no good deed goes unpunished" - is still very much alive and well. It also reminds me that good intentions are usually much more complex and will have more consequences than we initially foresee. Most importantly, this little event reminds me that seemingly obvious actions require the same amount of planning as more complicated, potentially negative deeds.