Work

This time of year the animals are working hard with their nests, calling to potential mates, and competing for territory. The plants are working hard to leaf out, grow blossoms to entice pollinators, extending their limbs to grab as much sunlight as possible. Humans are no exception to this exertion of energy. We are like the bears coming out of hibernation. It is the time when the pent-up energy of winter is released into activity: gardening, biking, hiking, walks, golfing, and remaking a walkway. The later is a project that I've taken on.

The people who were here before put in a nice walkway... except that the sub-structure wasn't as stable as it needs to be. I've learned a lot about rock walkways- one needs to dig down around 6 inches, laying gravel and then compact it (either by hand or powered compactor), then lay sand (some distinctions about whether to lay fabric between gravel and sand), level the sand, wet the sand, place stone, wet the sand, keep the stones level... a lot of work and I'm very grateful that I have some young high school kids to help. Especially with some tendinitis in my elbow. This project would take many months without that help.

The soil around here is clay. In the wet season it clumps to boots and shoes. In the dry season it hardens to the harness of concrete... almost. So, this is a good time of year to be doing this. The soil is still wet and easy to dig, but not so wet that it sticks to everything.

I've always enjoyed manual work, though I'm glad that I don't have to do it for a living. I can even remember as a kid how I liked to take an old-fashion scythe (like the Grim Reaper carries) and cut down the grass. Another memory is that of Mr. Stroops- a friend I made while I was in high school. He lived to around the age of 100. We were once sitting around his living room and he watched a woman run by. He said, "If she wants some exercise she can come over here and cut some wood." I think sometimes we have lost touch with the value of manual labor while keeping the contemporary knowledge that we need aerobic exercise also. In particular, I think many of our youth in the U.S. have lost touch with the value of manual labor. Our ancestors wanted to keep their children from having to work hard on the farm, laying brick, or bucking hay. It's become an issue of throwing out the baby and the dirty bathwater. There is a need for both- if for no other reason than that it helps the youth understand all the effort that goes into the goods and services that they provide.

I'm reading more and more writing that seems to demonize the Chinese and blaming them for our woes. There is something to be said that they have worked hard to get to where they are today. I don't think a lot of it is done by choice- which is something that we value greatly. In a way, the drive to better ourselves, to educate our youth, to encourage the pursuit of our highest potential means that we are relying on other countries to do our dirty work. I think the pursuit of our highest potential is very important and of high value. With that, have we lost the value of hard physical work beyond the marathon, 100-mile bike ride, and Jazzercise classes?

I'm grateful to live in the rural landscape, on the leeward side of the Coast Range. (Last night I watched the clouds roll in from the ocean and curl over the top of the mountains and consume them.) It is great to be in the rural area where people are out cutting wood, putting up fence, and digging their own trenches. I'm not real keen on xenophobic patriotism, trophy hunting, All-Terrain Vehicles, or gaz-guzzling huge trucks that aren't used for work. However, it is easy to jump to a conclusion about people in rural areas being all a bunch of "rednecks". That isn't my experience, at all. Though I think conservative values are prevalent.

The birds are devouring the seeds from the feeder, the creek is slowing down, the wild irises are in full spate, and the grass grows very fast. Today the sun is out in all its glory and the wind is cool (33 degrees last night). In a few months the temperature will reach 100 degrees and outside work will bring sweat.

Maybe what has happened is the anti-sweat lobby has won out?

May you enjoy the beauty of the wind, rain, and sun. Enjoy a little bit of physical work today.

Be well.