Don’t Do It Yourself

Read or Subscribe to all Tom Egelhoff’s Daily Blog Posts by Clicking Here

I’m getting to the advanced age where I have to access what I physically can and cannot do.

I was a carpenter in the military so I know how to cut out a window and put in a door or frame a wall or build steps.

My wife on the other hand is self-trained. She rewires lamps, puts in faucets and stuff like that all by trial and error over the years.

Savings vs. Expense

Anything you can do yourself rather that pay someone is a savings. The total expense consists of a few parts and your very reasonably priced “free” labor.

So what’s the cost of doing it wrong? — Usually a lot.

I know just enough about electricity to be extremely dangerous not only to myself but others as well. No matter how many breakers I turn off I still get a nice jolt sometime during the repair process.

Pros Are Pros For A Reason

I guess I should be thankful that professionals are licensed and pass tests. Hopefully they know enough not to burn down the house or flood the basement.

So I have thrown in the towel so to speak and have suspended my entire list of do it yourself building projects.

OK there weren’t that many.

I believe that this is the best thing for both me, and the community at large.

I believe the Bozeman fire department and the hospital are busy enough without me adding to their workload.

Tough Decision?

Watching the Olympics the other night it was announced that Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian ever, is 32.

He’s done.

At the ripe old age of 32 there is little chance that his body will produce at 36, four years from now, what it’s doing today.

He could certainly make it into the bronze or silver medal category. But wouldn’t that be sort of selling out?

There comes a time, and it comes for all of us, that our bodies just won’t respond the way we want no matter how good a job we do of taking care of them or how hard we train.

The last time I ran a 100-yard dash they timed me with a calendar.

I doubt that Olympic Gold is anywhere in my future or past.

Some Final Thoughts

So in retrospect it will be tough to sit back and admire the work of someone else rather than my own.

But I guess the time has come for me to hang up the Skill saw and tool belt and pursue other ventures I can physically or mentally accomplish.

I will miss all the hammered thumbs and cut fingers. I don’t think I’ll miss the unplanned shock treatments.

And Michael Phelps will miss the pool.

Any chance that's a plumber in the picture above?

Comments below.

Read or Subscribe to all Tom Egelhoff’s Daily Blog Posts by Clicking Here