I fear for the young

[SkullDaddy.45]

I agree with those that say parenting is the cause.

I plead the fifth on anything sock and/or potty related.

Manuals on computers can be ok, but out on the floor I need it printed.

I pride myself on reading between the lines. I assume by your post that you know the super secret poopie sock handshake!

 

[Mr Evilwrench]

I'm one of those guys, what show was that on, SNL? "Middle Age Man" that can do pretty much anything. Carpentry, electric, plumbing, siding, roofing, just about anything on a car, fencing, built two serious decks, chemistry, reloading, light gunsmithing, woodwork, metalwork (welding and all), oh, and the electronics I've been in since I was in single digits, among whatever else. Yeah, I was on the college track, going into engineering, but I've always wanted to know how to do everything. I won't mess with the refrigerant on my home AC because I want to stay here rather than in the Graybar Hotel, but I was seriously considering getting my cert for that at one point. I learned a lot of it just by plowing in elbow deep and finding it out.

My offspring can pick some stuff up, but he doesn't live for it like I did. I sent him out to replace the battery on the lawn mower, and he demurred. I asked him what the problem was. He was afraid of being electrocuted. I had to splain to him why he was perfectly safe. He still didn't tighten the bolts well Seems like I'd need to teach him each thing explicitly, and I'm no kind of teacher.

 

[churchmouse]

I'm one of those guys, what show was that on, SNL? "Middle Age Man" that can do pretty much anything. Carpentry, electric, plumbing, siding, roofing, just about anything on a car, fencing, built two serious decks, chemistry, reloading, light gunsmithing, woodwork, metalwork (welding and all), oh, and the electronics I've been in since I was in single digits, among whatever else. Yeah, I was on the college track, going into engineering, but I've always wanted to know how to do everything. I won't mess with the refrigerant on my home AC because I want to stay here rather than in the Graybar Hotel, but I was seriously considering getting my cert for that at one point. I learned a lot of it just by plowing in elbow deep and finding it out.

My offspring can pick some stuff up, but he doesn't live for it like I did. I sent him out to replace the battery on the lawn mower, and he demurred. I asked him what the problem was. He was afraid of being electrocuted. I had to splain to him why he was perfectly safe. He still didn't tighten the bolts well Seems like I'd need to teach him each thing explicitly, and I'm no kind of teacher.

When young I had to learn the skills in your list. I was put into a frame of mind that when you have to pay someone to do everything you will not have any money left at the end of the month.
I realized the truth in this and learned to fix things. I have a natural aptitude towards things mechanical and just rolled with it. Learned HVAC hands on and the rest blossomed from there.
Kids today are not interested in getting dirty and sweaty. Not all of them but enough that you have the situations like the OP observed. My son never slept very far from a fully tooled and equipped shop but had to be forced to learn these skills. His friends had no interest or desire to even open the hood on a car let alone rebuild the engine.
If they can not Google/Facebook/Twitter etc the info they are lost. Literally.

 

[dirtfarmerz]

I work with a lot of young people with engineering degrees. I don't have a degree, but I have to teach them. Most of them don't want to leave their laptops, they hate overtime, and they absolutely hate to sweat. I don't have much hope for young people.

A lot of us "older guys" had parents and relatives that did it all. Some of us picked it up naturally, some out of necessity; especially if you grew up poor. Some of us just can't stand paying someone else to do what we can do, especially if we can end up with some new tools in the garage; like a trophy. I am just an average guy, but I've built two homes and taught my two sons how to do it. Learned it all by reading books and talking to lots of contractors. My sons take care of the farm equipment. I may have gone too far because they send in the tractor oil in for oil analysis. This week I'm on the road and they're taking apart my 108" rototiller that I managed to break. It would be tough to be a farmer if you had to pay for repairs.

I had a building contractor out to get a quote on digging a basement hole. He laughed at me when I told him I might do it with my little Kubota backhoe. I didn't even think about it after that, I dug the hole and built most of the 5200 square foot house.

My sons were home schooled so they didn't turn out like most other kids. My sons turned out to be the kind of people that cling to their religion and their guns. I'm okay with that.

 

[JetGirl]

And those who are about to use sucks to wipe there butts!

"Sucks"? Ew, gross.

 

[Mr Evilwrench]

I started cutting grass when I was still wet behind the ears, had my first W4 job at 16, picked up whatever I could the whole way, and I'm tellin ya, I had a comfortable childhood. it was just a compulsion. I was always learning everything I could, and I wanted money for tools, electronic components, whatever. I got into welding when I needed a part for my lawn mower. I could make the two bits of metal, but had no way to join them, so I had to take them somewhere. Thought to myself "why can't I do this?" so now I have a stick, a MIG, a spot, and an acetylene torch. Still growing in the art, but I had to know. My son is good for lifting heavy things.

One of his good friends was in school to be a mechanic. I listened to his description of what this guy thought needed to be done to my chicken, and I just said "keep that kid away from my cars." I think I would have wound up with a whole new engine and drive train. And this guy was supposed to be learning to wrench formally. I'm just going to enjoy the decline.

 

[churchmouse]

I started cutting grass when I was still wet behind the ears, had my first W4 job at 16, picked up whatever I could the whole way, and I'm tellin ya, I had a comfortable childhood. it was just a compulsion. I was always learning everything I could, and I wanted money for tools, electronic components, whatever. I got into welding when I needed a part for my lawn mower. I could make the two bits of metal, but had no way to join them, so I had to take them somewhere. Thought to myself "why can't I do this?" so now I have a stick, a MIG, a spot, and an acetylene torch. Still growing in the art, but I had to know. My son is good for lifting heavy things.

One of his good friends was in school to be a mechanic. I listened to his description of what this guy thought needed to be done to my chicken, and I just said "keep that kid away from my cars." I think I would have wound up with a whole new engine and drive train. And this guy was supposed to be learning to wrench formally. I'm just going to enjoy the decline.

At 12 I had a news route, 4 regular yards to mow and 4 part time yards. I had my own mower as my dad would not let me use his without a cut of the proceeds. I got the mower for $5 from a paper route customer. It did not run. I learned how to work on them. From that I was fixing other peoples lawn mowers and mini-bikes. They would break them and bring them to me. My dad would not let me use his tools or yard (no garage) with out a cut of the proceeds so a friend of mine and I started a little shop in their garage. Mini-bikes, Go Karts, lawn mowers.....bicycles as well. Always swamped. Had my own tools from then on.
He moved away when I was 14 so I started "Working" for my Uncle doing refrigeration. I was his goat. I learned so much with him it became my career.
Just saying that I had enough of my own money to buy a brand new car at 17.
Yes, my Dad was a superior Dick but the end result was me being completely self reliant.

 

[Thor]

"Sucks"? Ew, gross.

It's the poo hoover...

 

[Leadeye]

Picked up my mechanical skill set from agriculture, and the fact that if you live in the country the action is in town so you need transportation. My sons now in their 30s don't have those skills but instead have others the old man doesn't. They muddle through on stuff that seems easy to me and I do the same on new stuff I don't understand.

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

I'm one of those guys, what show was that on, SNL? "Middle Age Man" that can do pretty much anything. Carpentry, electric, plumbing, siding, roofing, just about anything on a car, fencing, built two serious decks, chemistry, reloading, light gunsmithing, woodwork, metalwork (welding and all), oh, and the electronics I've been in since I was in single digits, among whatever else. Yeah, I was on the college track, going into engineering, but I've always wanted to know how to do everything. I won't mess with the refrigerant on my home AC because I want to stay here rather than in the Graybar Hotel, but I was seriously considering getting my cert for that at one point. I learned a lot of it just by plowing in elbow deep and finding it out.

My offspring can pick some stuff up, but he doesn't live for it like I did. I sent him out to replace the battery on the lawn mower, and he demurred. I asked him what the problem was. He was afraid of being electrocuted. I had to splain to him why he was perfectly safe. He still didn't tighten the bolts well Seems like I'd need to teach him each thing explicitly, and I'm no kind of teacher.

I'm kindof the same, except that I've only dabbled in electronics, never learned to weld, and I'm not an Engineer, I'm a Biologist. When I turned 16 and I'd bought my first car (1966 Mustang for $300) and my dad and a partner owned a bunch of rental houses. I became the handyman for the rental houses, and I learned how to do just about anything you can do to fix up old houses. One time I was at a house working on one unit, and two college girls (phys-ed majors) came to move into one of the other apartments. I helped them move a bed into one bedroom and when we unloaded some exercise stuff they said to put it in the other bedroom, saying they'd make that the work-out room. I was a little confused at that, and asked "but where is the other bed gonna go?" They both looked at me, then each other, then one's face turned red and the other started dying laughing (this was 1977). My face must have turned pretty red too when I finally figured it out.

 

[Darral27]

One time I was at a house working on one unit, and two college girls (phys-ed majors) came to move into one of the other apartments. I helped them move a bed into one bedroom and when we unloaded some exercise stuff they said to put it in the other bedroom, saying they'd make that the work-out room. I was a little confused at that, and asked "but where is the other bed gonna go?" They both looked at me, then each other, then one's face turned red and the other started dying laughing (this was 1977). My face must have turned pretty red too when I finally figured it out.

Dear penthouse letters,

 

[Mr Evilwrench]

Them Lebanese chicks, they show up in all kinda places.

 

[actaeon277]

Besides those skills, but still on the "fear for the young" topic....

The lack of understanding of the government, power, rights, etc.
The old "only the guilty need to use their rights"

 

[ModernGunner]

So, as humans we've finally reached a point in evolving where evolution has actually stopped, and devolution has hit the 'mainstream hipsters'.

 

[Leo]

So, as humans we've finally reached a point in evolving where evolution has actually stopped, and devolution has hit the 'mainstream hipsters'.

Everything in our existance has been going down hill since creation. Humans may have learned more about technical aspects in that period of time, but we have certainly not improved. Base instincts still rule. Some are more civilized, like building a massive financial corporation to steal other peoples life savings and pensions. That is exactly the same morally as crushing another mans skull with a rock to steal the food he hunted and prepared.

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

Dear penthouse letters,

When we were done moving in their stuff, they did offer me a beer.

 

[fraige1987]

I hate me some hipsters......

 

[88GT]

The unholy marriage of lazy parents and government schools.

 

[Mr Evilwrench]

Only 75%?