I've seen the commercials about buying insurance for your home and auto repairs. The pitch being something is going to break and you will need someone to fix it. Yes, that's true, something will break . I honestly can't say the last time I hired someone to fix something for me. I can't remember ever having an electrician, plumber, carpenter or painter come to my house. I don't hire anyone to do that stuff. I just do it myself. If it is beyond my capability I just buy a new one or do without. That is the way I was raised, not by design, but by necessity. In my house you either fixed it, made a new one, or went without. I admit it can be challenging at times, and frustrating. That is especially so with these computers, but I'm learning. I've replaced a few because I couldn't figure out what the heck to do but it was still cheaper that hiring a repair man. You see the thing is, if you want something done right, do it yourself has always been my motto. I can't bear to watch others doing work without wanting to help. I guess that is why I'm not wealthy, I'd go crazy watching others do stuff for me. I just couldn't stand it. I'm very uncomfortable in that situation, I have to help or leave.
I am always amazed at people that don't know how to do stuff for themselves. How can you drive a car without having a clue how it works? How can you not know what to do for a dripping faucet or clogged toilet? You don't know how to hook up a ceiling fan or wire a lamp? There are so many things I discover that others really have no clue about and I'm amazed. Ninety five per cent of the time repairs are quite simple and you can figure out what's wrong using common sense. It's even easier with the internet, just google it! But then I wonder, is this the new normal or has it always been that way and I just didn't know it? I've always thought hiring a repair man was something the rich folks do. Why would I pay you to change the oil in my car, or change the tire? The window broke in my house, measure it, get a piece of glass and some putty, fix it. It's that simple. And now there is a whole industry concerning that, Do It Yourself. We just called it getting by, or making do. You either did it yourself or it didn't get done.
I guess I get this attitude from my father. He did it all himself. I did witness him hiring a tv repair man when his Quasar works in a drawer color television quit working. That would have been about 1968. He looked in there and there were no tubes! What the heck are you going to do with that? The man came, slid out the drawer, replaced a circuit card and charged fifty dollars! I was given a color television once, man said it was a lightening strike and that television no longer worked. I took it home, replaced the in-line fuse and enjoyed it for years. I couldn't believe someone wouldn't know enough to check for a fuse. Dad did it all, plumbing, electrical, mechanical or whatever was needed at the time. I can also do a bit of everything. But I also think like my father did, can't everyone? He certainly expected people to have at least a basic understanding of how things were built and how they worked. He would say to me, before you can fix it you have to know how it works and why. He's right about that. If you know how and why you can figure out the, why not! It is also true that if you don't know, you should probably keep your fingers out of it! Time to do some studying. Now these computers are a bit of a puzzle to me but it's not the hardware it's getting the programs to run. And dang it, they don't have tubes in them either! What are you supposed to do with that? Very frustrating when they turn on and still don't work. Still I insist on trying to do it myself. I don't think that will ever change.
Just like my dad it isn't that I believe I know so much, it is more that I can't believe others know so little. I wonder just what do they know? But then again I am one of those people that isn't an expert at anything. I'm more a jack of all trades and master at none. I'm okay with that, variety is the spice of life. I do get bored easily. I need a change in the daily routine. Being retired is the most exciting job I've ever had! It's great to be the boss, well almost, I am married. Just kidding, it's a co-op in my house, decisions are made by mutual agreement. Ties go to the mutual.
I do wonder about others. How can you have a college degree yet no so little about life skills. At least that is what I call the things I know, life skills. The things you need to know to get by in life. Things like fixing stuff around the house, basic repairs. Things like knowing how to shut the water off in case of a pipe bursting, or turning off the power to the house. How to fix the lawnmower or jump start the car. Repairing the drywall or doing the flooring. Things like that. Things that you should be able to do yourself. I wonder, aren't they curious? Don't they want to know how or why something works? Don't they have any desire to do it themselves? I mean, I try to sing and play the guitar knowing full well I'll never be a pro at it. Doesn't stop me from trying and wanting to know. I know very little about computers, I also know I will never really master them, doesn't mean I don't want to know how and why. At the very least I can understand what someone is talking about on a basic level. And that is the beginning. Start there and you can, do it yourself.
I am always amazed at people that don't know how to do stuff for themselves. How can you drive a car without having a clue how it works? How can you not know what to do for a dripping faucet or clogged toilet? You don't know how to hook up a ceiling fan or wire a lamp? There are so many things I discover that others really have no clue about and I'm amazed. Ninety five per cent of the time repairs are quite simple and you can figure out what's wrong using common sense. It's even easier with the internet, just google it! But then I wonder, is this the new normal or has it always been that way and I just didn't know it? I've always thought hiring a repair man was something the rich folks do. Why would I pay you to change the oil in my car, or change the tire? The window broke in my house, measure it, get a piece of glass and some putty, fix it. It's that simple. And now there is a whole industry concerning that, Do It Yourself. We just called it getting by, or making do. You either did it yourself or it didn't get done.
I guess I get this attitude from my father. He did it all himself. I did witness him hiring a tv repair man when his Quasar works in a drawer color television quit working. That would have been about 1968. He looked in there and there were no tubes! What the heck are you going to do with that? The man came, slid out the drawer, replaced a circuit card and charged fifty dollars! I was given a color television once, man said it was a lightening strike and that television no longer worked. I took it home, replaced the in-line fuse and enjoyed it for years. I couldn't believe someone wouldn't know enough to check for a fuse. Dad did it all, plumbing, electrical, mechanical or whatever was needed at the time. I can also do a bit of everything. But I also think like my father did, can't everyone? He certainly expected people to have at least a basic understanding of how things were built and how they worked. He would say to me, before you can fix it you have to know how it works and why. He's right about that. If you know how and why you can figure out the, why not! It is also true that if you don't know, you should probably keep your fingers out of it! Time to do some studying. Now these computers are a bit of a puzzle to me but it's not the hardware it's getting the programs to run. And dang it, they don't have tubes in them either! What are you supposed to do with that? Very frustrating when they turn on and still don't work. Still I insist on trying to do it myself. I don't think that will ever change.
Just like my dad it isn't that I believe I know so much, it is more that I can't believe others know so little. I wonder just what do they know? But then again I am one of those people that isn't an expert at anything. I'm more a jack of all trades and master at none. I'm okay with that, variety is the spice of life. I do get bored easily. I need a change in the daily routine. Being retired is the most exciting job I've ever had! It's great to be the boss, well almost, I am married. Just kidding, it's a co-op in my house, decisions are made by mutual agreement. Ties go to the mutual.
I do wonder about others. How can you have a college degree yet no so little about life skills. At least that is what I call the things I know, life skills. The things you need to know to get by in life. Things like fixing stuff around the house, basic repairs. Things like knowing how to shut the water off in case of a pipe bursting, or turning off the power to the house. How to fix the lawnmower or jump start the car. Repairing the drywall or doing the flooring. Things like that. Things that you should be able to do yourself. I wonder, aren't they curious? Don't they want to know how or why something works? Don't they have any desire to do it themselves? I mean, I try to sing and play the guitar knowing full well I'll never be a pro at it. Doesn't stop me from trying and wanting to know. I know very little about computers, I also know I will never really master them, doesn't mean I don't want to know how and why. At the very least I can understand what someone is talking about on a basic level. And that is the beginning. Start there and you can, do it yourself.
No comments:
Post a Comment