Engineering. What is it? What is the soul of the practice? Does it even have a soul, or is it simply defined by the rawness of its pragmatism: Engineering is what works! No ideals other than getting the job done, satisfying the specs, delivering the goods and nothing more. In my decade of engineering, I have sensed that a soul does exist beyond deadlines and delivery objectives. To the soulful engineer, the implementation of the machine (the “guts” of a machine) matter just as much as the interface of the machine (the lights and buttons and knobs facing its user).

Last November, I was laid off from the engineering company I worked at. I wasn’t singled out, the wave hit close to half the company. Still, it was a shock. In the days that followed the announcement, I quickly arrived at the conclusion that I was heading into a break. Could be weeks, could be months, probably not years ("…but what if?"). I wanted to reflect on what it was I really wanted to do with my life.