Thanking the invisible brick-layer

Crafted shelter
London, ON
March 2023
This photo originally shared on Instagram

I’m out for a walk with the Wonderschnauzer, and while she’s busy sniffing the half-frozen grass at the foot of this brick wall, I find myself staring at the mason’s handiwork.

I do this often - stare at things while waiting for her to finish up. Or anyone/anything else, for that matter. Some folks scroll Facebook or TikTok to pass the time. I observe.

I like to call these in-between moments, little slivers of time that might otherwise fade from memory because they aren’t monumental.

But the thing is, who decides what is - or is not - monumental? Or otherwise worth remembering? Or somehow worth holding onto.

Years ago, someone built this wall. Brick by brick, using techniques handed down through generations. Today, someone lives within this wall, safe from the world outside, because of a stranger’s expertise.

We all live better lives because strangers came before them and worked to benefit others they’d never meet. The least we can do is try to mark their passage, their contribution, their impact in some small way.

Monumental? There’s only one answer.

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