it's okay to do things the hard way
There is a gentleman in our neighborhood who has a dead tree in his front yard. It has been gone for some time, a casualty of oppressive Arizona heat. For the past several weeks the man has been working on removing the deceased tree. It is not excessively large -- small enough for one to consider it as a do-it-yourself project. However, the guy is using a small handsaw, a ladder, and a couple of saw horses to get the job done.
A few times each week, he cuts off a limb, lays it across the saw horses and then reduces it to smaller pieces. He is about three weeks in and still has a significant amount of the tree to tackle. I can't help but think there would be a much easier way to do this. He seems content with his process, but at this rate, that tree will still be standing in a year's time.
Of course, I have no idea of his intention or motivation. Sometimes doing things the "easy way" isn't the best (or the point). For example, why would I ride a bicycle to the grocery store when I can drive? Is it worth the bother to separate garbage from recycling? I could check out a book from the library, or I could just have it delivered by Amazon. Go for a walk in nature? Nah, I have access to the National Geographic channel.
It is so much easier to cave into the frenetic pace of daily life than to go against the current, slow down a bit, and do things that might take a bit more effort but are rewarding. Actions that pay dividends to our health, the environment, or our enjoyment of life. Easy and efficient doesn't always mean better. Sometimes, it's okay to do things the hard way.
So back to my neighbor. Perhaps this is his daily exercise. Maybe the act of sawing calms his mind. It is possible that the slow removal of the tree gives him a sense of accomplishment.
Or, perhaps he needs to borrow a chainsaw. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯