Trowel Spin – October 2026

“We are all continually faced with a series of opportunities – brilliantly disguised as problems…”

The other day me and a good friend went for a haircut. My regular barber wasn’t there, but another barber was. He got the job done just fine, but it wasn’t quite the same.

But he did keep exclaiming how exceptionally nice my hair was, and he wondered if I am from Turkey? Do Turkish people have nice hair? I don’t know.

My wife wondered if I am sure he didn’t say that I look like a turkey. Oof, thanks honey. But certainly, a fair question. Honestly, I am guessing the next 7 customers were told they have exceptionally nice hair too.

But sorry, I got sidetracked. Here is what I really meant to say. My friend and I were talking. I was telling him how seemingly every day I can expect a problem of some kind. If it isn’t a logistical merry-go-round, it’s a people problem, or a technical glitch, or a mechanical breakdown or a relational misjudgement, or a communication letdown.

And when all these problems accumulate it can feel like a dark pressing cloud. And on top of that when I do the math the biggest problem is often me.

My friend responded with a question. It hit me as a very profound question. He asked,

“If everything went exactly like it was meant to go, all the time. What would that really be like? “

I needed to think about that for a moment. What would that really be like?  And in thinking about it, it seems rather, I don’t know, almost boring. Somehow, we want things to be predictable. But we don’t want things to be boring. 

The very dilemma of things being unpredictable and problems cropping out of nowhere, is what keeps our humanness and uniqueness indispensable. We are not machines or robots; we are essentially problem solvers.

But even more. Not only do we analyze problems when they occur, we have the capacity to foresee what difficulties may arise and overcompensate for them.

Concrete work is no exception. Concrete is supposed to be grey and innocent. It is anything but. I mean it is grey, but it is not innocent when it comes to being a progenitor of problems. 

Concrete projects can produce a host of logistical, technical and relational problems. I am perpetually astounded at how two different companies can have two seemingly similar projects and one can go smoothly and the other terrible. Of course, it may be a lack of experience or simply crappy luck.

But I wonder if it isn’t more a choice to not want to think about problems. And what might be done to alleviate them. Just naively hoping things go well is often the cause they don’t.

I do know that I need to think about problems differently myself. I need to remember that problems are what makes our humanity so indispensable. Problems are what vitalizes the unique skillsets and nuances of a team. Problems are why most of us even have a job.

I need to remember the quote attributed to John W. Gardener.

“We are all continually faced with a series of opportunities – brilliantly disguised as problems.”

Speaking of which, if you have problems with your trowels or other concrete equipment, bring them here, we like to help with those problems. And I know you have lots enough others to think about! 😊

Until next month, take good care.