If you keep building it...

So, a few years ago, dissatisfied with just building ethereal things, and burdened with new home ownership, I started to learn how to build and fix real-world things. Linda's brothers are a handy lot and they are always willing to teach you how to do something, even when you know nothing.

I still remember a conversation I had with Linda's brother Bruce upon my trying to change an outlet in my townhouse...

Ed: How do I change an outlet?
Bruce: Unscrew the face plate.
Ed: Oops... let me get a screwdriver. Hold on a sec.
pause
Ed: Now what?
Bruce: Unscrew the face plate.
Ed: Got it.
Bruce: Did you turn the power off to the outlet?
Ed: How can I tell that?
Bruce: Try to plug something in.
Ed: Oh. I need to turn off power to the outlet. Hold on a sec.
pause
Ed: Oops. Wrong one.
pause
Ed: Oops. Wrong one.
pause
Ed: Oops. Wrong one.
pause
Ed: Oops. Wrong one.
pause
Ed: Oops. Wrong one.
pause
Ed: Oops. Wrong one.
pause
Ed: Got it!
Bruce: Now, unscrew the outlet, snip off the ends. Do you see a white, black and cooper wire?
Ed: Done, and I see them.
Bruce: Do you see a white and black wire on the new outlet?
Ed: Yup.
Bruce: Good. Hook it up and use wire nuts.
Ed: Which go with which?
Bruce: The white wire goes with the white wire. The black wire goes with the black wire. The copper wire attaches to the green screw.
Ed: Ok. Got it.

I think I had Bruce on the phone for 30 minutes walking me through the process. That conversation seems like a lifetime ago. In the past two years I've read so many magazine articles, learned form the father and brothers, and done so many things that people are starting to ask me for advice! Lord help them...

In just the past few weeks/months, I've gotten:

- Can you mix 14-2 and 12-2 electrical wire?

- Can you fix the steps to my deck?

- I need someone to take out my kitchen countertops, can you help?

- This wooden toy gun broke, will you fix it?

- Can you help me put in attic steps?

Sometimes the answer is yes, and sometimes the answer is no. Most of the time I'm just thrilled to be asked (being thrilled has no bearing on the answering of yes or no).

How does one learn how to do these things? Necessity. I remember when doing the screend-in porch for Mother's Day, I wanted to rescreen the porch. As the deadline approached and we were running out of time, I started thinking to myself... "self, the holes in the screening aren't too bad". Shocked, I immediately went around tearing out all the screens (instead of doing them one by one).

There. Instant necessity. We needed to put in new screens.

Three nano-seconds later came the "Holy Krap, how am I going to get this done". But, that might be the secret of goal-oriented growth: thinking second. 8)

-Ed