The Art of Self Reliance
“It was my wish that our sons should cultivate a habit of bold independence, for I well knew that it might easily be the will of God to deprive them of their parents; when, without an enterprising spirit of self reliance, their position would be truly miserable”
-Johann David Wyss Swiss Family Robinson
Today’s musing comes from an experience I had very recently…in fact it was yesterday. My mom and dad came over to our new house to help us with some home improvement projects and I was absolutely amazed at how smoothly it all went. My dad is someone I’ve always looked up to when it comes to self reliance. Before he hires someone to fix something, he almost always tries to do it himself, with varying degrees of success. Sometimes, like yesterday, everything goes off without a hitch and the projects are done without any headache. Other times like when he tried to fix his lawnmower, he’ll spend a few weeks fiddling with it and almost make the problem worse than when he started. The important things that he’s taught me are how important being able to fix your problems by yourself, but also knowing when to call it quits when you’re out of your depth. There was something so enjoyable about spending the afternoon with him doing “manly things” and being able to see the fruits of our labors when we finished! We had to learn to improvise and make adjustments as things came up within the projects, but with a bit of problem solving the garbage disposal was installed, the guest bed was good as new and it only took one trip to the hardware store!
I think that this is such an important trait for us as a society to keep alive. Too often we buckle under the slightest pressure or difficulty and break out a wad of cash to have someone else fix our problems for us. In my case, yes I had to ask for help, but I did it with intent of learning alongside my dad so next time I can do it myself, or help someone else out. An underrated aspect of self reliance comes from a healthy curiosity, asking the question “why did you do it like this instead of that” or “How did you make that work?” It comes from this desire to know and understand the world around us. Once we are able to know how to pick up a hammer and saw and build a table, we then can think “This was cool, I really enjoyed it, now how can I do it better next time?” Adam Savage in his book “Every Tool’s a Hammer” talks about this as the essence of being a maker and a creative. Wanting to figure out how to do things naturally begets wanting to learn to do them better and better. I now have a small collection of spare plumbing parts and tools that I can never throw away because in 10 years I’ll have a job that requires a very specific length of pvc pipe that I used for this job, and I’m honestly really looking forward to that. I’m not hoping that things will break and will need to be repaired, but I’m excited at the prospect of having the skillset needed to take on whatever task comes my way. Even if I’m unable to actually do the task, the chance to go to the store and buy a new tool and give it the old college try is in and of itself an exciting proposition.
I’m really grateful for this love of learning that my dad has passed onto me. I’d be willing to bet that he gained it from his dad as evidenced by the plethora of tools in my grandpa’s garage. The hope that I have is that one day I will have a son whom I can take the time to work with and spark that same desire to learn and create or fix the world around him. So the next time you have a leaky faucet, or the lights flicker in your basement, instead of calling a guy to come fix it, ask a friend or check the internet to see if there’s a solution and try it out yourself. You might just find it’s easier than you think, or you’ll enjoy the challenge of overcoming the obstacle. If there’s a person in your life who has taught you or inspired you to take up this desire, be sure to thank them, for they have given you a gift that will last your whole life.
God Bless,
Andrew
