Yesterday I spent a few hours assembling my road bike after it was damaged from a freak accident. The process was really enjoyable and meditative. Most of it all made sense with the help of a friend both in person and on call, along with YouTube and photos I had taken during the disassembly, I was able to figure out how to put together 80% of the bicycle again.
I couldn’t help thinking that I really enjoyed working with my hands. I am definitely a tactile learner as I’ve slowly discovered I don’t learn very well just sitting and listening anymore. I enjoy getting my hands dirty whether it is grease from bike or saw dust from a woodworking project.
My dad made a living working with his hands as a mold-maker / machinist so that may have some influence towards my affinity for working with my hands.
I’ve primarily worked in front of computers primarily using soft skills that doesn’t require manual labor. It is well known that these jobs, white collar, the income is higher without the risk of wearing down your body or getting injured on the job. I’ve benefitted from this fact with a nice cushy salary before but I think I’m okay with working with my hands and not necessarily make as much as I used to.
I think I’m allowing myself to work in both capacities: as a knowledge worker or physical labor. Both have it’s benefits. I’m not just going to shut myself out of opportunities when I don’t need to. By physical labor, I don’t mean the back-braking kind. I recognize that I am fortunate that I can choose to not do manual labor but work in a job that requires a little more moving around and setting things up like an IT worker or shooting a film.
Even if I find a white collar job, I’m still going to pursue my passion projects on the side and learn how to build and make things. Right now, I’ve reignited this with the use of a 3D printer and various wood working projects I have lined up to make my life better. I recognize I’ve tried to constrain myself from doing jobs that don’t pay as much as I used to. I have to step back and be okay with working on things I enjoy rather than chasing the money.
What are you preferences when it comes to work and learning? Are you hands on? Are you a mix of both? Leave your comments below.
Featured Photo by Alexander Grey on Unsplash
