I've laid a little block and brick for myself. I found it kind of fun and pretty rewarding work. As soon as I saw the headline and started pre-thinking about th

I've laid a little block and brick for myself. I found it kind of fun and pretty rewarding work. As soon as I saw the headline and started pre-thinking about the content, I immediately thought, "well, the mortar for one thing..." The bricks aren't all that uniform either. My big takeaway from doing myself was that it's easy to obsess over each brick (like a machine might) but when people look at a brick wall, they see the forest, not the trees: it's not necessary for each brick to be laid perfectly. I also heartily second volunteering for Habitat for Humanity. It's rewarding work, fun if you're with a good crew, and a great way to learn new skills.