Sanding walls is harder than it looks. It takes time and precision. Each wall must be smooth; without any lumps, without any flaws. I never knew how much precision went into construction or how hard it was to do something as simple as sand down a lump on a wall. After my experience on the Habitat for Humanity Fall Break trip, I appreciate construction workers, and the construction profession as a whole, a lot more than I did before. Every instruction given is important, and every detail of the instructions is necessary to complete the task effectively. Even, the simplest of flaw could ruin the final result of the project.
On the trip, the head constructor on site was a man from Brooklyn named Jimmy. Jimmy was kind, and extremely patient in showing us how to use the construction materials properly. It amazed me how careful he was in his work, even though it wasn’t for himself. Although Jimmy works for a non profit, and wont stay in the spaces he creates, he continues to do his work for the greater good of the community. He told us how he was personally effected by hurricane Sandy and how he was still recovering from the storm himself. It is amazing how even though he is struggling with the same issues as the people he works to help, he chooses to help them anyway.
I personally believe the most rewarding parts of life are in the the things we do for others. After watching Jimmy input long hours of work into his job with every intention of perfection, I find this belief to be true. I am happy to have experienced what he does every day, and be a part of the contribution given by the community to help the victims of Hurricane Sandy.
This is part 4 of our series of reflections from our Fall Break 2015 trip. Check out the rest:
The Down and Dirty: What We Helped Build