This weekend, I was able to spend some time outside working on a brick walkway that had to be adjusted since the driveway was recently paved. I rebuilt the end of the walkway, cutting the bricks and adding several bags of sand to fill the gaps and help hold everything in place. I thought this was a pretty good job for an amateur, especially as I have never been trained in laying bricks, landscaping, or even gardening. I read some books in cutting bricks, and then went off to the Home Depot, since they told me I can do it and they can help. Yes, I actually spent the little free time I had this weekend working on this project.  

Why would I want to do this? Most of the work I do all week is behind a computer or in front of groups of people. I do intellectual and academic work full-time, whether in instructional design, organizational communication, theory development, or research. I love working with all of this, yet it is rare I can ever see any immediate results of my work. I get excited with it, but the results are often far in the future with my writing and audience. 

Laying bricks? I can see the results of my labor immediately. If they are not what I wanted, I can redo them (as I in fact did several times). I can get it just right and then stop. Not so with theory. Not so with project plans. Certainly not so with communication or research. Ironic that to get immediate satisfaction and sense of accomplishment, I have to spend my free time doing strenuous, physical labor. This is not what I thought would be the case before I started working on and finishing the four graduate academic degree I have. What they never tell you in college . . .

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