The other day I went out by myself on a hike. When I go with a friend, I don't feel the need to take anything with me, but when I go solo, all of sudden, I have a compulsion to take a backpack full of stuff:
- Long Pants
- Jacket
- Hat
- Water bottle
- Wallet
- Keys
- ID
- Leatherman
The Boy Scout in me comes out, and I need to carry stuff, just in case. Be prepared. I forgot a flashlight, however, so my total trek time was only about 1 hour. I also failed to bring along anything resembling a first aid kit. Looking back, I was not prepared for much more than what I actually accomplished--a fairly easy uphill stroll. The wallet came in handy, however, because I stopped at a new restaurant and enjoyed a few tapas and a couple of cervezas. Mission accomplished.
The only tool I brought along, my Leatherman, is really just a multi-faceted pacifier. I feel better having it strapped to my side. To be sure, I could find some uses for it on the trail, if pressed, but in truth, I am not much of an outdoorsman. I love being in the wild, but I don't know how long I would actually survive on my own. Going to a survival camp is on my Bucket List. (Hint for Christmas)
Tools and I go together like barbed wire and bare feet. No matter how careful I am, I always end up getting hurt. At this very moment, I am typing with a band-aid on my right thumb, after almost severing it with an apple slicer. I just am not safe around tools. Don't even get me started on anything with electricity.
This lack of dexterity weighs heavy on my soul. My entire family is handy. Everybody can make stuff, whether it's food, houses, robots, art, etc. I can make a mess, usually with some amount of blood loss in the mix. So what can I do to supplement my obvious lack? I am not really sure, but I think the answer is somewhere between resignation and perspiration.
On the one hand, I need to admit and accept my obvious shortcomings. Where my brother and sister can design, build and repair anything, I will just have to pay somebody else to do it. This is not such a bad way to go, however, as I get things done and then move on, perhaps a little poorer, but not nearly as tired.
On the other hand, I need to learn, grow and development. Like a muscle, I have allowed whatever shred of coordination I inherited to atrophy. It is time to bulk up. Living in Spain has actually helped a great deal with this, because I don't have a rolodex of available subcontractors at my disposal. I do however, have a Leatherman.
To date, I have successfully, more or less, repaired or replaced the following:
This lack of dexterity weighs heavy on my soul. My entire family is handy. Everybody can make stuff, whether it's food, houses, robots, art, etc. I can make a mess, usually with some amount of blood loss in the mix. So what can I do to supplement my obvious lack? I am not really sure, but I think the answer is somewhere between resignation and perspiration.
On the one hand, I need to admit and accept my obvious shortcomings. Where my brother and sister can design, build and repair anything, I will just have to pay somebody else to do it. This is not such a bad way to go, however, as I get things done and then move on, perhaps a little poorer, but not nearly as tired.
On the other hand, I need to learn, grow and development. Like a muscle, I have allowed whatever shred of coordination I inherited to atrophy. It is time to bulk up. Living in Spain has actually helped a great deal with this, because I don't have a rolodex of available subcontractors at my disposal. I do however, have a Leatherman.
To date, I have successfully, more or less, repaired or replaced the following:
- Shower enclosure. Dismantled, caulked, reassembled. Still leaks, but the door opens better.
- Toilet guts. Removed and replaced. Toilet no longer runs constantly and flushes well.
- Ikea furniture. Okay, I actually helped Susan do this, so I only get partial credit.
- Art. I completed a 30 Day Challenge and drew some interesting things
That's not a very impressive list, but it is far more than I accomplished in the previous year. We all carry blindspots and weaknesses. Recognizing and working to overcome them is the challenge.
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