Saw-cutting and rock breaking

There will be noisy construction activities associated with our work including saw-cutting and rock breaking. Sydney Water public letter, August 2021.


I know it’s different for everyone, but saw-cutting and rock breaking feels about right to me at the moment. 

Right now the small part of the world that I live in is under demolition and reconstruction. The back lane of our house leads down to an 18 month long Sydney Water reconstruction project. There is dust and noise and fences. Also, as of last week, the back wall of our house doesn’t exist. There is dust and noise and rubble. I wear a mask outside to protect others from exchanging expired air with me, and I teach school students from a desk at home. 

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The regular business of many people in the world is not currently possible, or only made possible after hasty deconstruction and patch-work reconstruction to suit in the current health crisis. 

The cutting and breaking experience of tumultuous times, times of change, can be uncomfortable. We often develop a narrative that whilst change is difficult, it is worth it for the outcome. If all the breaking and cutting, mending and building helps us to arrive at a new location with exciting new opportunities then the discomfort was an important part of the process and a worthwhile exchange. 

This seems like a great narrative or perspective to take during challenges. I wonder if it is true? 

Perhaps some challenges are vast and lead to violent change such that the resolution isn’t worth it. The new location arrived at is not imbued with possibilities and excitement. The discomfort was just bad and then it’s over. Does that sound right, and are we in one of those situations now? 


Sydney Water is going to finish naturalising the creek and then it will be beautiful. The builders are going to make a better back wall at my house and I’ll be able to see a tree from inside. Science and society will manage a solution to the current pandemic and then…



I think there are probably ways to finish that last sentence that provides hope and optimism, it would be different for everyone. ​

What do you think? Is there value in examining challenge for the concurrent opportunity that seem to sometimes exist?