Slice of Life: Day 5: Only Bricks

Will Smith’s autobiography, Will, opens with his dad telling him and his brother to reconstruct the ten-by-twenty wall in their yard. Will’s father could have hired professionals, but where’s the lesson in that? A job that could’ve taken a day, maybe two, took several grueling months.

 

One day, hearing his two sons fuss and complain about the wall and how it was taking forever and will never get done, Will’s dad came outside and told them, “There is no wall! Only bricks! You take one brick, lay it perfectly, then get the next brick and lay that perfectly. There is no wall!”

 

This lesson teaches us to focus on the pieces rather than the whole. The wall will come, but not without individual bricks. Expecting a wall to show up without work is not on the pages of life’s manual. Trust me, I checked. We all know that too well. But there is a sign blinking above our heads, a marquee displaying our missteps reading, “Guilty as Charged.” There will always be that nagging temptation of expecting the essential things to come easy. I feel this whenever I have the “simple” task of hanging a picture or replacing the flush handle on the toilet – something that’s been broken for over a year. I clench my fists in frustration and release a growl of agonizing incompetence as I ask, “Why can’t anything be easy? Just once.” My house has so many holes it looks like we used pegboards as our interior design.

 

Will’s story got me thinking. We all have a wall we want to build. My wall is my dream of becoming a writer, a better father, and finding avenues to harness the joys of life and give joy to others. Spreading light, so people don’t believe darkness is a super-glued cloak forever bonded to our spirit and soul.

 

With my wall come bricks. Can’t have a wall without them. Not in this metaphor, anyway. A sledgehammer lurks in the shadowy corner, striking and chipping my bricks of confidence, humility and discipline. As soon as I feel things are going well, they sputter. Shattered under the mighty hammer. Replaced by self-doubt, spiraling thoughts and a sour attitude. Walls aren’t built perfectly. There are mismeasurements, sinkholes and aching knees and backs preventing optimal performance. These bricks act like they are part of the blueprint, but they must be removed. More importantly, they must be replaced.

 

Sometimes it takes a day or three to find the bricks I need. Life changes, and we must adapt. One day we have a network of friends to confide in; the next, they aren’t there. Not because they don’t want to be but because life is moving pieces. Always in transition. We can’t stop it or slow it down. We adapt. A network of friends is one of the bricks I need on my wall. When I have it, it’s energizing. Gives me joy. When I don’t, it’s a glaring hole in my wall. It’s worse than a crooked wall because crooked walls are still solid. But without it, I’m perforated, unable to contain life’s essentials. My spirit deflates. A deflated spirit reveals the enemy's lies – reminders of inadequacy and shortcomings. Even more reason to keep looking for those bricks – bricks that uplift, inspire and resonate in the deep corners of your soul. These bricks will weather and even crack but never crumble.

 

What is your wall? What bricks do you need?

 

Is there anything I can do to help?

 

rg