Learn a New Skill: Read a Book (It’s Not Heart Surgery)

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Read a book. It sounds too easy. Probably because oftentimes it is difficult to understand directions even with pictures. How many times have you struggled with directions on how to assemble a simple piece of furniture much less assembling a spider web of air conditioning ducting?!? It is hard to read directions and apply ideas in real life!

I think we can all agree it is much more fun to learn in person with someone else guiding you along the way. However, what happens if your mentor is not on-site or unavailable by phone when you are in the middle of a project with drying mortar? What if you move away and your friend can’t take the next flight on Southwest Airlines to assist?

While I have not yet developed the ability to read minds, I think we all unanimously answered, “My cell phone!”  So what happens if your internet enabled phone runs out of power because of a power outage* or when you self-inflict no power for days due to replacing all the electrical wiring and outlets in your house? In both cases you are left stranded without YouTube or any helpful online tutorials.

Read a book and keep it with you

Having the best directions you can find in print is a reliable** yet silent supporter in your journey to learn a new skill. It will not argue. It will not judge. It will not hear you scream. There are also times when a simple diagram or a small tip dog-eared in your very own book makes a world of difference.

When I was making the list of items for the Planning to Remodel a house Two States Away post I came across my copy of the Complete Do-It-Yourself Manual. Funny how the book opened right up to the tile pages and they felt a little gritty. Like they had been poured over again and again… a nd again.

I can’t say that I have read the book cover to cover. I mostly jumped around to the projects at hand, although I did read several chapters before getting the keys to the house. All the directions were very thorough, easy to understand and, best of all, had great pictures!

Preparing for DIY heart surgery

I recall a conversation I had with my grandma at one point during the remodel when I was catching her up on all the progress. Grandma asked me how I knew how to do so many things.

Before I could answer Grandma’s question I recalled a family story about my grandpa:

Popo (Italian for grandpa) was a dentist with a quick wit, but a poor cardiovascular system.

In 1978, Popo was scheduled for quadruple coronary bypass surgery. The surgery was to be performed by Dr. Denton Cooley, an American heart and cardiothoracic surgeon famous for performing the first implantation of a total artificial heart in 1969.***

The evening before his surgery, Popo was laying in his pre-op room bed. Grandma, my parents, aunts and uncles gathered around. The mood was cautious but positive.

Dr. Cooley walked in with a couple of aides and stopped at the foot of Popo’s bed. Dr. Cooley reached down and wiggled a couple of Popo’s toes. Popo told him “Don’t play with those cheesy toes”. Dr. Cooley laughed and gave a short overview of the surgery.

After a minute or two, Popo asked “Have you done one of these before?”

Dr. Cooley said, “I read about it in a book”.

It got a laugh out of everyone, including Dr. Cooley.

While the results were not as good as hoped and Popo still ended up with pacemaker at a later date, the surgery was successful. Popo continued making many more good memories.

I answered my grandma’s question: “I read about it in a book.”

Read a book, but make sure it is a great one!

Doing a project in your home certainly isn’t heart surgery. You may feel as though running water and heat are the lifeblood of your home and rightly so! But even you can fix any blockages or leaks. Read a book to prepare yourself for the project ahead.

Even if you do not feel comfortable making the change yourself, you are taking more control of your projects by becoming more educated. Communication with the tradesman you hire will be clearer and easier since you can use their lingo.  You will also know when a job is done properly.

If you are not doing a full-fledged remodel there are other books to educate you on fixes and repairs.  After falling in love with the Complete Do-It-Yourself Manual my husband bought the New Fix-It-Yourself Manual. It is another invaluable addition to our home library although there are no tile mortar encrusted pages.

If you still have questions you should ask a professional for help.

*It really can happen: Hurricanes Gustav and Ike rolled through town cutting off power both times during two weekends I happened to fly out to work on the remodel.

**Except if you spill coffee on it or set fire to it.

***Wikipedia