Lesson 46
Do it yourself
Did the writer repair his lawn mower in the end? Why/Why not?
So great is our passion for doing things for ourselves,
that we are becoming increasingly less dependent on specialized labour.
No one can plead ignorance of a subject any longer, for there are countless do-it-yourself publications.
Armed with the right tools and materials, newlyweds gaily embark on the task of decorating their own homes.
Men, particularly, spend hours of their leisure time installing their own fireplaces,
laying out their own gardens; building garages and making furniture.
Some really keen enthusiasts go so far as to build their own computers.
Shops cater for the do-it-yourself craze not only by running special advisory services for novices,
but by offering consumers bits and pieces which they can assemble at home.
Such things provide an excellent outlet for pent up creative energy, but unfortunately not all of us are born handymen.
Some wives tend to believe that their husbands are infinitely resourceful and can fix anything.
Even men who can hardly drive a nail in straight are supposed to be born electricians, carpenters, plumbers and mechanics.
When lights fuse, furniture gets rickety, pipes get clogged, or vacuum cleaners fail to operate,
some women assume that their husbands will somehow put things right.
The worst thing about the do-it-yourself game is that sometimes even men live under the delusion that they can do anything,
even when they have repeatedly been proved wrong.
It is a question of pride as much as anything else.