Breaking up gravel to install driveway -- without breaking my back

[commasense]

@LSLGuy

Especially for something like roof work or electrical work, that lack of knowledge and cavalier attitude leads directly to stories like @commasense’s attic fan job two posts up. Which story he himself suggests was a bad idea in hindsight.

Wired illegally without a permit, probably not properly water sealed versus the roof, great risk of falling, etc. In no sense was that job actually a success. Except in that he lived to tell the tale. Whatever learning he achieved at the time was actually mis-learning.

Now hold on, there! It’s not quite as dire as that.

Although my nearly 50-year-old memory of the event is naturally dim (e.g., where did the tools come from?), I’m reasonably sure I did seal the thing properly, because I lived there for a few more years, and there were no leaks. And while I admit to the mis-wiring, now that I think about it, it must have been fixed by the time the house was sold a decade or so later, since no competent inspector could have missed it. And the fan worked.

So I wouldn’t say that the job was in no sense a success.

Did I take risks I may not have been fully cognizant of? Yes. (And that was the main point I was making.)

Did I subject myself, the other residents, and the owner to the risk of improper wiring? Yes. (And that’s the worst part of the story.)

Could a professional have done the job better in every respect? Without doubt.

And this would have been mislearning, as you suggest, if I had gone on to do a lot more improper wiring in other situations. AFAIK (within the limits of my so-called memory) I didn’t.

But I accomplished the task that had been set, and I think that gave me a sense of confidence (admittedly partially undeserved) in my own abilities that let me take on other challenges more successfully. Feeling it is possible to do something yourself, instead of having to rely on others, is an important part of learning new skills.

[LSLGuy]

@commasense

But I accomplished the task that had been set, and I think that gave me a sense of confidence (admittedly partially undeserved) in my own capabilities that let me take on other challenges more successfully. Feeling it is possible to do something yourself, instead of having to rely on others, is an important part of learning new skills.

And you’re absolutely right that that in itself is a darn good outcome.

I do lament that something has been lost between the DIY generation, the “I like to know how [whatever] works” generation versus the apparently incurious and inherently less capable modern era.

[puzzlegal]

@TriPolar

Was this the result of all that physical activity

Probably not. Injuries are bad for you, but if you don’t use it, you lose it. And physical activity within your range is generally good for you.