This content originally appeared on Go Make Things and was authored by Go Make Things
I’m currently re-reading A Prayer for the Crown Shy, book 2 in the Monk & Robot series by Becky Chambers.
The book explores themes of craft and meaning and purpose, and what happens when something that used to be deeply fulfilling no longer is.
This one little bit in particular really jumped out at me.
(Dex, the main character, crafts therapeutic teas as their profession.)
They remembered a time when making tea fascinated them.
They remembered entire days spent in the wagon, grinding and sniffing, dabbing pinches of spice on their tongue. Hours flew by in a blink, an effortless flow of puzzling and purpose. They forgot to eat, sometimes, only realizing their mistake when their brain abruptly crashed from hunger. They’d fall asleep mulling over recipes for new blends, and wake up in a rush to get back to work.
And they remembered, too, the results of those efforts: carefully choosing the perfect brew for the stranger who approached their table, and feeling the warm, wordless exchange coursing in the space between.
Such service had made Dex feel electrified, peaceful, close to their god and to their people and the world they all shared.
If you view coding as a craft, that might feel familiar to you.
I still vividly recall first discovering the joy of coding, as a side project in my job as an HR pro. I remember hours spent figuring out how to complete a simple task. I remember the thrill of finally getting my code to work.
I’ve spent countless hours perfecting my craft. And I can also relate to this…
Nothing was preventing Dex from doing that again.
They knew how. It wasn’t that they didn’t care or didn’t want to. They wanted. They still loved performing tea service—or at least, they loved what it had been.
But as they tried to connect to what had once been so captivating, they felt nothing but yawning absence. A void where they’d once been filled.
I’ve been hearing more-and-more of this sentiment from folks like me, people who treat our work with care and craftspersonship.
If you feel that way, or if you’ve ever felt that way, I highly recommend reading the Monk & Robot series.
It’s the literary equivalent of a warm cup of tea or hot chocolate on a cold, rainy day.
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This content originally appeared on Go Make Things and was authored by Go Make Things
Go Make Things | Sciencx (2025-09-20T14:30:00+00:00) A yawning absence. Retrieved from https://www.scien.cx/2025/09/20/a-yawning-absence/
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