The older I get the more amazed I am at how smart parents are.
I have had 2 plastic trash cans stuck together for probably close to 2 years now. We have tried everything short of cutting one in half to get them apart and nothing. My Dad was over one day and saw me lugging these two stuck barrels around while I was weeding and thought I was crazy. Or stupid. The look was hard to decipher.
"Just stick the lip of the top one on the tailgate of the truck and hit the rim of the bottom one with a hammer"
You know it took three whacks and the thing came right off. What the actual heck?
Now, I'm not dumb. And I'm really good at you tubing answers and googling the quick tutorials. But there's just some things you just can't find, or can't put into words, and for those things my parents always seem to know the answer. Always.
I've done my share of passing along bits of info to the boys, but I wonder how much actually gets through. They can address and mail a letter, write a check, dial an old school phone, etc. They know the names of tools, wrenches, and can tell you what a Phillips head is. Oldest has googled basic car repairs, changed multiple car batteries, tires, and the like. They have basic (very basic) sewing skills.
However, I was outside the other day talking with the neighbor and I was saying how tired I was because Youngest had ended up with a flat tire at 10pm the night before and rather than calling AAA, since he was local, we went up and helped him change it. He commented that he's 100% positive his kids would never have a clue as to how to do it, let alone who to call other than him. That it was almost embarrassing how little his kids knew now in comparison to what he knew at their age. I mentioned something about Youngest wanting a fire extinguisher for his room because he had a space heater, and my neighbor commented about how he's sure his kids wouldn't even know how to use one. Same for oil changes, changing electric suppliers, billing and banking inquiries, and where the water main shut off is in the house. The list adult stuff is actually endless, how to reset a washing machine, check brakers on the electric panel, hem a pair of pants, or change the furnace filter.
Which got me to thinking.... how are these 20 somethings ever going to gain all of this Dad knowledge that has helped us all survive for generations?
There needs to be a hands on class in High School again. Maybe a coalition between the Council on Aging and the school that they need to pass prior to graduation. It could be part of their 40 hours of volunteering... spending time with retirees learning the trades and skills they spent a lifetime doing.
With a refresher course for the 20 somethings.
Or even a judgement free how to lifeline that you could call for when you need to remain anonymous because you feel so stupid.
I'd call that just so I could avoid the look on my father's face as he watched my special kind of stupid drag two stuck together trash cans all over the yard.
Those classes would come in very handy for a LOT of people. Regardless of their age. Circumstances change, and suddenly we need skills in areas that we never have before...
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I think in addition to classes, you need a new generation that wants to learn more deeply than memes and sound bytes.
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh - I agree 100% that some of this should be included in general education. And that lifeline? I'd probably be calling it every day.
ReplyDeleteNow I'm trying to think what my son can do. He actually can do quite a few things because his dad taught him a lot of stuff. But your concept about a class is a brilliant one and I think definitely needed! I think things like this should be taught over other things that perhaps shouldn't be taught in school. And hands off to your dad for being there at the right time to give you that lesson with the trash cans! I bet it won't happen again that you'll have 2 trashcans connected for that long period of time!
ReplyDeletebetty
I don't know how to do some of the things you listed. Sadly because growing up in the 50s some of that was "male" work. I never learned about cars or mowing or fixing things around the house. Sad but true. What I have learned has been on my own since I left home. Great idea!
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