People Who Work With Their Hands

[bookslover]

I'm a renter and, occasionally, a handyman comes around (employed by the owner) to do this and that around the house. He's good at what he does and seems to have a lot of all-around skills.

I've often thought that people like him are probably the most blessed of all workers. They love working with their hands and are good at what they do - building things, fixing things, replacing things, upgrading things, using various carpentry, electrical, and mechanical skills (including people who are professional electricians, plumbers, carpenters, etc., as well as handy-man types like my owner's guy).

It seems to me that those folks will rarely be out of work. Their jobs are more secure than those of your typical hot-shot expensive-suit business executive types, in many cases.

I imagine it would be interesting to be able to do that sort of work for 40 or 50 years, using skills I don't even remotely possess. Being good at what you do and liking it, to boot.

I hope I'm not just romanticizing or being sentimental, here.

 

[Wretched Man]

I'm a renter and, occasionally, a handyman comes around (employed by the owner) to do this and that around the house. He's good at what he does and seems to have a lot of all-around skills.

I've often thought that people like him are probably the most blessed of all workers. They love working with their hands and are good at what they do - building things, fixing things, replacing things, upgrading things, using various carpentry, electrical, and mechanical skills (including people who are professional electricians, plumbers, carpenters, etc., as well as handy-man types like my owner's guy).

It seems to me that those folks will rarely be out of work. Their jobs are more secure than those of your typical hot-shot expensive-suit business executive types, in many cases.

I imagine it would be interesting to be able to do that sort of work for 40 or 50 years, using skills I don't even remotely possess. Being good at what you do and liking it, to boot.

I hope I'm not just romanticizing or being sentimental, here.

I’ve actually had these same thoughts! I recently got into some various patio, molding, and carpentry related projects which I really enjoyed. And I was thinking, what if this is what I did for a living? Be my own boss, set my own schedule, work in nice houses with different sceneries. Not be staring at a computer all day, stressing out over numbers and presentations, or dealing with office politics...

 

[Ben Zartman]

It is good, up to a point. But the more trades you branch out into, the more specialized and expensive tools you need, and the jack of all trades is perforce master of none. I'm the perfect example of this: I can do lots of things badly, and often my living comes from a hodgepodge of side jobs, but betimes I look at someone who can really only do one or two things, and does them well, and wonder if I went wrong by not specializing. The specialist simply makes more money.
Funny thing is, I find more and more that when working with your hands, what appears to be skill is really just the careful paying of attention and taking the time to be methodical and thoughtful. That's something anyone can do (except for me, it seems), and that's the crux of most manual endeavors.

 

[Chad Hutson]

I, too, am often amazed at the skill of some people to fix just about anything. My advice: befriend someone like this and try to learn a little bit from them. It is good to pick up some basic skills to help you be able to fix some of your own things and save the money. But remember, a man has to know his limitations! You have to know when something is above your ability.
When I was in my early twenties, I purposed to learn some basic carpentry, wiring, and plumbing. My limited skills have paid dividends through the years. But when it comes to auto mechanics...count me out! I'm calling a mechanic.
As to making a career out of it, I think it would be like any other job. The "wood butchers," or handymen, that I know are all busy but their own homes/houses are in disarray. Tells me that if it was fun for them, they would work on their own homes after they got off the "job."

 

[BGF]

I worked in trades for 25+ years. It can be very rewarding but it can also take a toll on the body. I’m 45 now and the arthritis is beginning to tell me I got out at the right time.