The Wannabe

With the impending home purchase going smoothly, I’m beginning to question whether or not I’m fit to be a home owner all by myself.  The house that I’m purchasing is in pristine condition.  From a casual walk-through you’d never know that it was built in the 40’s.  It looks like it’s only a few years old!  During the inspection, the inspector kept saying how they had made a lot of repairs and, “They did them right.”  It makes me wonder if a future inspector would say the same thing about repairs that I’ve done to the house if/when I sell it.

I used to tell my friends that I was morally opposed to doing my own work on my house.  I called it my theory of economics: if everyone did their own work, we would be depriving the people who currently do the job professionally of their livelihood.  Landscapers, fencing professions, and carpet installers would all be out of a job.  The economy would collapse!  Then the economy really did collapse, but that’s another story that we’re all familiar with.  The truth is, I was just afraid.  I was working under the assumption that since I wasn’t a professional, I couldn’t possibly do the work nearly as well, or end up with anything resembling a satisfactory result, as someone who did it for a living.

A recent revelation about my own career changed my mind.  I work as an “IT field technician” which basically means that I make a decent living by knowing how to use a computer and being willing to help others who know less than me.  I was recently stopped by a woman who needed help with some sort of conferencing equipment.  I will be completely honest and say that I knew nothing about the equipment that I was being asked to help with.  Had never used one before, nor seen one used, but in this woman’s mind, the fact that I was an “IT guy” instantly qualified me to assist her.  The solution to her problem was simple.  I checked the cables on the back to make sure everything was connected properly, and then picked up the laminated instruction card that came with the machine and followed the instructions step-by-step.  It worked.  She marveled at my technical prowess, insisted that she had followed the instructions herself without success, and declared that I must have some sort of magical “tech aura” that she was lacking which explained why it worked for me and not her.  I’ve heard so many people reference the tech aura that I sometimes wonder if it actually exists.

Of course it doesn’t.  I’m a competent, educated individual who likes to solve problems.  No magic involved.  I’m certain that this woman is also a competent, educated individual who simply saw a technical term like “IP Address” and became afraid that she was going to break something.  Very likely the same fear that I experience when I try to imagine myself installing a new sink faucet or laying pavers in the back yard.  Maybe all I need is a little confidence and I can find my inner do-it-yourselfer.

I’ve already started to make a list of things I want to do to the house.  I know, that can turn out horribly bad if the worst happens and I don’t get the house.  I just can’t help it though!  The house is move-in ready but there are still so many upgrades and little cosmetic changes that can be done to make it my own.  I’ve got 19 things on my list so far, ranging from small projects like adding a garbage disposal to major undertakings like installing an underground sprinkler system.  I estimate it’ll take me the better part of a decade to finish everything.  First up?  Playroom for Jaxon!