So, is every service worth paying for also worth learning to do yourself?
In an ideal world, yes.
What’s an ideal world?
One where reality allows enough time to do everything you want to do, freely, without cost.
What’s the sad reality of life in the United States for a white, college-educated male of 33 in the year 2007?
I feel slightly handcuffed.
I spend so much time earning the money to pay people, creditors, companies and the government for the things we need that I find very little time to learn the skills it might take to end the need to call for help in the first place.
If I could save time in a bottle, here are some of the things I’d rather learn than buy:
- I’d love to learn how to build a 17 foot canoe from scratch, with wood, bark and pine tar.
- I’d love to learn the process and technique for beautifully painting the interior of a 2100 square foot home.
- I’d love to learn how to replace the brakes (shoes, pads, rotors and all) on my car, my wife’s car and every car we’ll ever own.
- I’d love to learn how to re-code my own website, to make it work and look the exact way my mind and heart would expect.
- I’d love to learn enough to be able to repair the essential utilities in our new home: water, heat, electricity. A man should know how to do this.
- I’d love to learn enough to drive our business to be more successful in every way, for myself, my partner and our employees and contractors.
- I’d love to learn how to keep completely accurate accounting, prepare complete and accurate tax forms and satisfy every request the IRS and the State of Oregon makes of our corporation.
- I’d love to learn what it would take to run my entire life without the need for expensive public services, foreign fossil fuels, the consumption of animal products, the production of goods in overseas factories, the corruption of politics, the excess waste of the packaging of food products, the dark business of pharmaceuticals and the pollution of automobiles. There are ways to live in avoidance of all things negative towards other people and the planet, right?
- I’d love to learn about the polar regions, the last (sort of) unspoiled areas on Earth, through extensive, first-hand research.
- I’d love to create my own entertainment network, free of advertising, with my friends and brothers, that we could distribute via satellite, radio and Internet to share with other friends and families.
- I’d love to learn how to communicate with my friends, family and business contacts, without the expensive convenience of cellular and iPhone technology.
- I’d love to learn how to live comfortably as a successful man, husband and partner, without the debilitating effects of loans and credit cards.
- I’d love to learn how to gain wealth effectively through investing for success, all by myself.
- I’d love to learn the discipline it takes to eat nutritious meals every day, and and strength it takes to exercise enough to lose weight and live healthier.
This is a short, incomplete list of impossibilities. So for now, I will reluctantly buy and continue to learn a little at a time.
7 responses so far ↓
1 Solnushka // Jan 15, 2007 at 11:13 pm
Sewing is mine. Sew my own clothes, make my own curtains, embroider my own cushions and tableclothes.
I like your list though too. Actually, I like your lists generally.
2 Vince LaVecchia // Jan 15, 2007 at 11:18 pm
Hmm, sewing would be useful for long pants and short, stubby legs.
3 Wifey // Jan 16, 2007 at 1:16 pm
I’d like to learn how to build stuff that requires large powertools. Things like a deck (because the one on the party house is suspect)
I’d like to learn how to fix a hot tub pump/mechanical stuff so we don’t have to pay some chump to do it.
I’d like to learn how to make furniture one day.
I’d like to learn how to do better ActionScript.
I’d like to learn how to get off the chair lift better.
That’s MY list- also one last thing. I’d like to learn how to make homemade soups from scratch better.
4 J. O'Shea // Jan 17, 2007 at 5:38 am
You forgot one of the most important ones …
“I’d love to open a bar called ‘Shitty’s.’ It would have a laid back atmosphere, except for when the Melvins were playing on the jukebox, or playing live. People would find odd objects in their beers (tacks, nickels, ball bearings, fingernails, etc.) Wrestling would be mandatory and it would also be a hash bar.”
Wifey, I wholeheartedly feel your furniture love. If I had more time in life, learning to make furniture would be up there on my list too. Do you spend a lot of time in Hive?
Enjoy your ice storm.
Did you see this video?
http://www.king5.com/topstories/stories/NW_011607WABstorm_tues_moresnowJM.460dd9d6.html
I’m sure you did. The TV stations are prolly making your storm major effing news. I heard a rumor that you guys created the “Ice Storm ‘07″ logo. Nice one.
It’s finally balls cold back here. Now it needs to snow before Spring comes.
Peace,
J
5 Glen Seelenbrandt // Jan 21, 2007 at 9:33 am
Hey Vin — I’ve been a voyeur here for a while and finally decided it was time to say hey..so “hey”.
I’ve been having these same thoughts for a while too. The furniture thing has been bugging me forever. My dad is a carpenter and makes the most beautiful Stickley style stuff..if I just had one ounce of his ability, attention to detail, and understanding of natural fibers, I could die having lived a contented life.
The other thing I wished I had learned was surfing at a younger age. I started both snowboarding and surfing in ‘88, but with the move to VT and the 15 years of manic attention I gave to snowboarding, surfing just sort of lost out…even though it was always in the back of my mind. (Also, we only get waves in Tahoe once every 2 years and then they’re only waist high and the wind is blowing 60 mph.) I’m probably not too old to get better…but it might be that I’m too old to really suck at something again.
Cheers,
-G
6 Vince // Jan 21, 2007 at 1:03 pm
Nice one, Glen. Voyeurs and voyageurs welcomed. On my way to shred head heaven in Vegass. Hope to learn to surf soon. PS, get your wood/surf fix at http://www.grainsurfboards.com. My brother’s company in Maine. Talk soon I hope…
7 Wifey // Jan 21, 2007 at 11:24 pm
Justin-
i walk by the hive whilst I’m taking the dog out for an afternoon dook walk. overpriced. but cool.
work shut down on the day that it snowed a whopping 3 inches. I felt like I was playin’ hooky. it was awesome!
hows beantown!!!
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