• demolition •
taking down what no longer works to clear the path for something that does
he arrived in a neon safety green T-shirt
camel-colored Carhartt pants
and dusty brown steel-toed work boots
an unassuming therapist
he assessed the situation
viewed different angles
considered the options
devised a plan
then climbed into his metal boxy office
and began dismantling her structure
with a delicate touch and gentle coaxing
old layers peeled back and fell away
revealing bare beams underneath
exposing her worn-out frame
he paused a brief moment
giving time to catch her breath
before continuing to strip away
what was no longer needed
with a few gentle taps
her walls tumbled down
until the entire framework
of who she used to be
collapsed
her old self
her outdated self
what stood so sound mere minutes before
gave way to its impermanence
until only her foundation remained
with the tenderness of a kind caregiver
he scooped up her rubble
he removed the mess
he cleared the slate for a brand new her
an updated structure to encompass who she is today
intentionally designed
thoughtfully crafted
built stronger and with purpose
drafted from hard-won self-knowledge
and the beauty of a blueprint
she created for herself
Karin C © 2026
My office sent me to photograph and videotape the demolition of a garage that no longer works for one of our homeowners. We designed and will now build a new one that better aligns with current needs. I arrived at the site expecting sledgehammers and a wrecking ball.
But that’s not at all what happened.
The backhoe operator handled the demolition with such care and thoughtfulness, stirring up a profound heart-tugging feeling I couldn’t name at the time. It hit me a few days later how his gentle takedown of the structure mirrored the dismantling of my life when I left my marriage.
The framework of who I’d become no longer worked for me either, and it took gentle coaxing, seated on a therapist’s sofa, for me to realize that. Together we worked to tear down old notions of self, and rebuild healthier ones this time using newly gained insights into what I envisioned my new life to be.
Thank you for visiting.
I often notice that those that work on their own develop a unique and well crafted approach. So often the team approach is the brute force of wrecking ball. A thoughtful deconstruction always leaves the foundations in the best condition, whether human or concrete. A well observed parallel.
I know this is off-topic, but I thought you would appreciate it. When my father was young, he worked as a technician for the FAA. He had five identical gray shirts with his name over the left pocket. He also wore thick black-framed glasses and carried a gray metal clipboard. He said it was the perfect combination. He could walk right in anywhere and no one ever questioned him.
After he became and engineer and had his name on his door instead of his shirt, he kept those old uniform shirts and the clipboard in case he wanted to get into some place where he wasn't supposed to be. He once conducted his own inspection of a retirement home before moving his mother into it.
Your opening lines made me think that today the equivalent is a bright green or orange long sleeve Carhartt shirt. I'm thinking about getting one with the words "Authorized Personnel" printed on the back.
Maybe therapists would do well to wear such uniforms. It might remind them of the essence of their jobs.