Simple Satisfaction

by Duc Pham

Perhaps the most satisfying part of work camp is the simplest: sweeping the floor. Seeing the gradual build up of dust is one of the purest form of delayed gratification I have yet to experienced during working hours. Most people would consider a step towards freshly-swept ground a step backward in progress. However, I view it as an opportunity to experience the satisfaction that had drew me to the task.

An equally satisfying part of sweeping is the gradual thinning of dust as each layer gets swept away into the dustbin. I learned to take small backward steps while sweeping towards the dustbin’s ramp to minimize dust residues residing bellow it. Sometimes a step backward is all that is needed to move forward with the task at hand.