In Oman, I have learned to relax.

Today is day 81. The beast within that went without and wrote Philadelphia has calmed down marginally — probably due to the hour-and-a-half nap I had today at “work.”

I am prone to action and a neurotic foot-tapping when it stops. I was once asked, “Can you relax?” I responded saying that I thought relaxation, along with recreation, was a waste of time. In the colloquial sense of the words, I still think so. Most people that “need to relax” really need action in a very serious way. Like money and time, relaxation is a reward, not a right. If you haven’t acted, you haven’t increased your intensity. The spring has not been wound, so how can it unwind? What most relaxers really mean is that they enjoy being lazy. Laziness is not relaxation, relaxation is not laziness. Laziness disgusts me.

And here in the Middle East I have learned the subtleties of both. First, I have learned laziness from the crews I work with. In this kind of climate — which is now daily above 50C — productivity can kill you. A lifetime in this climate seems to dictate a, uh, SLOW pace. But just going slow is not necessarily an indication of laziness. Here it can be a wise survival technique. However, even a slow pace is too fast for some. Often, seven turtle-necked workers — usually led by a fit, hardy, team-minded Bedouin — will cruise along while a Waste-Of-Skin-I-Can’t-Fire does jackshit behind them. Usually he soundtracks his shamble with a whine about how much work we have to do, which in reality is NOT MUCH. (I don’t know why the other seven don’t jihad the motherfucker, but unless Canada declares martial law in Oman and hires me as a Sergeant, I’ll have to content myself with the violence of my fantasies.)

Second, I have learned relaxation from complete mental fatigue. Working 80+ consecutive days in this heat and wasting energy on lazy people has left me mentally exhausted. It tricks my body into thinking it’s tired too. In rare moments when the iPod plays the perfect song, the tension leaks out and I’m left with an increased awareness. Only by leaving home can you come back to it. Only struggle can produce satisfaction. Only discomfort can deepen appreciation. Only having less will give you more.

In ten or so days we’ll be finished. The day-ticking will end at just over 90. It’ll be time to sit, look out a window and drink thick, black coffee. I’m looking forward to it.

• Tweet