Learning To Handstand is Like Becoming an Engineer

A short comparison between the road to handstands and the road to engineering.

Not long ago, a stranger said to me “I could never be an engineer”. And recently, a different stranger said to me “I could never do a handstand. “Do I just like to do difficult things?” I pondered. I don’t see either as “too difficult”. I guess I just prefer to chase things that don’t give you instant gratification.

But I think that they’re quite similar in several regards. Both require you to be patient, both require you to show up regularly, and both require you to do your homework. Fail a few tests? Well, there’s lessons in failures. Who would’ve thought? Next thing you know, you’re an engineer. An engineer who can stand on his hands.

An interesting fact in all of this is that I don’t identify as an engineer. Do I understand engineering topics? Yes. Can I make a living being an engineer? Yes. I studied for it for 5 years and worked as one for four years. But I identify much more with doing handstands and coaching handstands. There’s much more smiles in handstands than there are in engineering. Smiles from those who spectate and smiles from those who partake. People smiling all around. And this is just much more satisfying than being an engineer.

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