Of stones and gardens

"There is some good stone work here,' [Gimli] said as he looked at the walls; "but also some that is less good, and the streets could be better contrived..."
"They need more gardens," said Legolas.  "The houses are dead, and there is too little that grows and is glad..."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


In this week's chapter, titled "The Last Debate," we follow two stories.  The first is the reunion (again) of Legolas, Gimli, Merry and Pippin.  The second is the actual last debate, wherein Aragorn and Gandalf decide the only chance is to march to the gates of Mordor and challenge Sauron.  Not because they can win on the battlefield, but because if, as they hope, Frodo lives, his only chance of reaching Mount Doom requires Sauron's attention to be drawn elsewhere.

But earlier in the chapter, as Gimli and Legolas walk to the Houses of Healing to see Merry and Pippin, they have the above conversation.  They both say, if Sauron is defeated, that they will ask their people to help Aragorn build the city to new glory.  With strong stones and growing gardens.

We've already discussed the need to balance productivity and happiness.  There's little need to repeat in full.  But what precisely is productive and what makes us happy?  As veteran internet users know, Yahoo! Answers provides little help.  Still, it is interesting to browse that entry.  Here are what some people say make them happy:

• Lemon Gelato 
• Listening to Smile by Lily Allen
• Hugs (of course)
• Watching TV
• Screaming at my sister
• Sleeping [voted best answer]

Do these things makes you happy?  Maybe.  But if you don't like lemon gelato, being given it probably won't make you happier.  And hugs?  We've all had times when we want to be left alone, and any company is unwanted.  And sleeping?  Personally, I wish I could go through my days without sleep - I consider sleep a task I have to do.  But obviously that is only me.

I have a decent idea of what makes me happy.  You probably have an idea of what makes you happy.  What if our answers are different?  That's fine.  "You do you, and I'll do me.". Today, I had a day off from camp and I went to 5 Guys and sat alone at a table listening to a podcast.  I enjoyed myself greatly.  Would you enjoy that?

A lot of people at camp want to spend their days off with people hanging out and relaxing.  For the most part, I need my days off for my "me time" I tend to not get at camp.  But that's what relaxes me and makes me happy.  Different people are different, with different needs.

The need to be industrious is a little trickier.  We can all intuitively grasp the need for relaxation, but work?  Work is that thing no one likes.  I was teaching my religious school students that one of the best mitzvot (Good deeds) you can do for a needy person is to give them a job so they no longer are needy.  One of the kids responded, "But my dad HATES his job.  Why would I want to give a job to someone else??!"

But being industrious, being effective, being productive has huge positive benefits, too. We get satisfaction from work.  Well, we might.  To quote the parable from that article:

A young man, walking down a road, came upon a laborer fiercely pounding

away at a stone with hammer and chisel. The lad asked the worker, who looked frustrated

and angry, "What are you doing?" The laborer answered in a pained voice: "I'm trying to

shape this stone, and it is backbreaking work." The youth continued his journey and

soon came upon another man chipping away at a similar stone, who looked neither

particularly angry nor happy. "What are you doing," he asked? "I'm shaping a stone for a building."

The young man went on and before long came to a third worker chipping away at a stone,

but this worker was singing happily as he worked. "What are you doing?"

The worker smiled and replied: "I'm building a cathedral."  

 

Why do you work?  Do you work for a paycheck?  If that's how you view your job, it is unlikely you enjoy it very much.  That isn't necessarily bad, but obviously there is a better alternative.  You can find a job that is aligned with your passion.  Then your 'work' fulfills you in a deeper way than just financially.  It doesn't really matter what, but if you believe in the work you are doing, you will enjoy it more and leave each day feeling truly fulfilled.  Work can become a place of inspiration, instead of a place of despair.

 

Unfortunately, we can't all be building cathedral's all the time.  Even if we are fortunate enough to truly enjoy our work, there are always going to be parts we like less than others.  At camp, I need to make schedules every week for my staff.  It is important: my staff need to know where they are supposed to go.  Otherwise, camp won't function well.  But I definitely didn't get into camp work because I enjoy making schedules.

Then again, the worker building the cathedral is still a mason, chipping and shaping a stone.  I wonder what would happen if I viewed scheduling as a part of camp that directly leads to smiling happy campers.  I'd probably, if not take more joy in it, then at least see the work as less of a drag.

Our life needs good stonework - we need work that we see the purpose in, we need work that fulfills us.  Even if you don't have that as a job, you can volunteer places, work on a hobby, or maybe you have kids to raise.  Sometimes we have jobs that suck.  But if we then go home, lie on the couch, complain to our friends, and then return back the next day, we aren't being fulfilled.  We need more than that.  We need to be industrious, we need to make a tangible, if small, effect on the world.  Otherwise, we will view our lives as meaningless very quickly.

Still, we also need gardens.  "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."  We need our pleasures.  Not all of our needs can be met at work, even if we have our dream job.  Relaxing, whatever that means to you, is important for us.  Plus, it is difficult to truly enjoy your work if you never have time to see it.  And we need to find time to appreciate and enjoy it.  We need things that "grow and is glad."

We're all embroiled in one struggle or another.  Few of us have our lives exactly as we want.  But in that struggle, don't forget your goal.  You don't want to become the monster, do you?  No.  You want to go beyond being the warrior.  And that's where stones and gardens come in.  After a long battle, be sure to have indulge in some relaxation.  You'll deserve it.  It will help you appreciate what you were fighting for in the first place.

And then, even if you have the life you want, if you've defeated all the struggles in your life (Lucky you!) you still need something to strive for.  You're still going to yearn to make cathedrals.  And whether that's working your dream job, or volunteering in your free time, or building Westeros in Minecraft, as long as it is a task you find fulfilling, that leaves a mark on the world you're proud of, you're going to want to go do it.  So go and do!

Why do you think I began this blog?  Because I wanted to do something productive in my free time that I would be proud of.  I'm glad to say this blog has done precisely that for me (except for these past few weeks, because "free time" and "camp" are practically mutually exclusive).  Still, I use what little free time I have to work on it.  Why?  Because I find it more fulfilling than relaxing.  And maybe you agree.  Or maybe you think I'm crazy.

Whatever.  We all need stones and gardens.  My stones are my work and this blog.  My gardens are reading, fantasy baseball, and video games (Oh, and recently, Magic cards).  Yours are probably different.  I'm not here to tell you what they should be.  I'm just telling you that you should know what they are for you, and that you should find time for both.