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KA3FTZ's avatar

Here I am at a computer typing out a response to a post about reducing screen time. Two recent observations that may relate and are examples of people who should be capable but doing nothing (or only doing after arm twisting).

1) A few weeks ago for the first time in several years the southern MD area got 9" of snow. In years past, and I've been around for nearly 63, after a snowfall kids would go out to play, sledding, making snowmen, etc. Then walks would be shoveled, driveways plowed, it was a hum of activity. It was common place to look up and down the road and see people on small tractors pushing snow away from mailboxes and entrances, then swing by the elderly neighbor who used to plow their snow but no longer able. (Those elderly are gone now, their homes sold to younger people.) This past snow, nothing of the sort. There were a few tracks to a sledding hill overlooking the river, but not as many as in the past. Most driveways were clogged with snow, which soon melted and froze again into ice that stayed for a long time.

2) Last week there was a small leak in the well house of a private member owned water company. Pictures and videos were taken, but not sent out nor was there any discussion only until after a "professional" plumber had been Googled up by a well (pun?) intended member. A temporary tape "patch" was applied, which obscured the pinhole when I went to investigate. A box of compression patches sat one foot away. Knowing a plumber had been called, I did nothing and waited a few days to ask about progress. Pictures followed showing a trombone slide-like installation of copper pipe as would be used in a domestic application. Further, the plumber had advised the leak was due to freezing and the building needed to be insulated. Never mind the building is as old as I am and has NEVER been heated, except through the big 1000 gallon heat reservoir at 50F in the water storage tank, through many much colder winters of below 0F temps.

It took some arm twisting and pissing at least one person off (usually not difficult for me), but I managed to overcome the "I am not a handy man", "ask a professional, then do as they say", "I don't have time" responses, to get an informal group of water company members together to look and see for themselves they had the materials and capabilities with a few minutes or an hour of time to make their own remediations. After seeing the situation, all agreed it was NOT a frozen pipe, but a simple pinhole leak which could have been fixed without sending up the Google flag for a "professional".

I suppose what I am trying to illustrate with these two examples is, people seem to be too comfortable now not doing what would have been common place only a few years ago. Is this because the population is no longer skilled, lazy or what? For certain, more screen time will not provide an answer. As I tried to show, and think I made some success with the water leak, at least one positive step is to get out, survey to identify a problem, find a solution on your own and apply it. Take satisfaction in what you can do and if you screw up, learn from it, lather, rinse, repeat.

Josh, thanks for taking the effort to help the students master their own time and have the opportunity to surprise themselves with what can be accomplished. It is a learning experience to realize the answer is in front of you if you can get out of your own way!

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