Do it Yourself!

I am convinced that to truly understand how to do something, you must DIY.

You must get your hands into it, get em’ dirty. It helps to read instructions, watch youtube videos, and get hands-on instruction, however, there is no substitute for real world experiential learning. Experience is the best teacher, and sticks in the mind.

Experience is the path to being an expert, and being an expert allows you to speak with authority, and get it done right. Having said all that, I have a saying to share: “What would the Old Man do?”

The  Old Man is not just my father, the Old Man is every older male that I ever worked for or learned anything physical or practical.

The Old Man is grandpa and his friends, that old handyman that lives next door, your boss who tells you “You’re doing that wrong, do it this way".

The Old Man is the embodiment of the school of hard knocks, years of experience in the field, and cultivated good sense.

The Old Man may be a farmer, or a mechanic, or your dad, or uncle, or an old how-to book.

When I am confronted with a project or issue that is in Old Man territory, and I don’t immediately know what to do, I ask that question, “What would the Old Man do?”

Inevitably, the answer becomes clear, I can almost hear his gruff commanding voice. He’s not politically correct, he’s not necessarily nice about it, and he’s always telling you to hurry up and take your time at the same time, but he’s almost always right.

So, DIY, and while you are at it, get help from the Old Man, he knows what to do.

As the years pass, and I become more skilled and experienced, I begin teaching and sharing, and start to become the Old Man (just a little). To me, practical skills like basic carpentry, plumbing, basic tool use, knowledge of fasteners and building materials – this kind of stuff is becoming less and less a part of the male experience. I crave it. I aspire to it. I collect tools and learn how to use them.

Self-sufficiency and independence from a society that packages everything in a plastic/Styrofoam one-use dolphin choking device is what I am talking about. I am talking about personal strength and confidence stemming from the accomplishment of tangible goals.

The Old Woman is the same, just different knowledge to pass down, and much nicer about it. The Old Woman knows some of the same stuff, but additionally a whole lot more that the Old Man does not know.