I used to leave my kids with a friend and fellow coach. His wife was my middle boy’s preschool teacher. Every weekday morning I dropped off the younger two with Coach and went about my day. At the end of the school year coach announced that he was no longer going to be doing daycare. He needed to get back to what he loves, and that is building things.
I respect that. In many ways I envy those who work hard labor, keeping their bodies strong and fit. I envy their skill at wiring and ability to look back on their hard work and see a building where once only a pile of timber stood. I’ve always been more of a cerebral guy, my building acumen ending at a opine of Legos and never stretching into hammer and nail. Lately I have begun to change that, and it feels incredible.
Today I put the finishing touches on a ‘Rock wall-styled’ ladder for the loft I built earlier in the week. I used all of my tools, cutting and mounting wood, screwing everything in, and making sure all the wiring worked. I built something and it felt good.
This morning I started hanging pictures and shelves, partly in preparation for my mother-in-law’s arrival and mostly to continue that high of accomplishing something physical. When I committed to writing as a profession I gave up being a Dj–a job that was a mix of the physical and mental. I tried semi-pro football for a season, but having kids meant there was no time to practice at the level I needed in order to achieve real success. Building and designing fulfill me in a physical way and make me feel more accomplished than a guy who sits around and plays video games all day long.
Next thing I should build is a better backyard.