Do We Have a Hammer?

I was editing my essay on school when Phu asked me for help assembling his white board for our home office. He had a plastic connector pushed midway down the joint and couldn't get it to slot in further.

"No we don't have a hammer," I said, peeling from my screen and turning around to face him. I picked up a short metal bar from the floor and banged the plastic in. "Why not just hit it like this?"

We both laughed. He commented, "ahhh... you're smart. That was high agency."

It's fun working together. I also respect Phu immensely. He's an incredibly sharp guy, and a much harder worker than me. He recognizes good and learns instantaneously, with zero ego. I wish I could say the same about myself...

But anyone can get stuck. Especially when following given instructions—intently, step by step, heads down. Sometimes we need to look up, and ask a friend for help.

Or just step back and breathe. Examine your assumptions. Relax a few constraints.