Generalist vs Specialist
Our furnace is heating up!! After agonizing and fretting and thinking, “we should be buying a furnace instead of building one”, the furnace is running! Studying and learning all of those good things about transformers, relays, inputs and outputs, and tying it all together with a touchscreen controller seemed a little out of my league, but man, does it feel good to see it running! Even if it doesn’t last forever, the joy of getting it all together is so rewarding! It’s probably a similar exhilaration that many of you have felt after accomplishing something that you really had to push yourself to do for the reward of accomplishment as opposed to simply financial gain. Things like marathons, backpack and canoe trips, major excursions that seem impossible for you when you read about others doing them in magazines and on-line.
When things seem out of our league, do we go for it or just dream and wish that we could do it? Has our society taught us to only do what we are trained to do, what we specialize in? Some of that is good. I really don’t want just anyone doing a surgery on me or any of my family for that matter, and I’m probably not going to give a chunk of change to some young punk with no training and let him invest it in the stock market to see what happens.
On the other hand, have we become so specialized in those important things that it limits us in what we do? We usually do this in the name of efficiency. And efficiency isn’t a bad thing. But if efficiency is always the goal, always the deciding factor, are we left missing out on the finer things in life, those things that can only be bought with time? How about taking time to prepare a good meal instead of hot pockets and Burger King? Instead of putting in more hours at work so we can afford to fly and get there quickly, why not drive? Is there any value at all in growing your own tomatoes when you can buy them already grown in exchange for a few minutes of your specialized time? Are we taking enough time to smell the roses along the way?
Efficiency is good. But have we taken it to far? Should we be learning to be generalists? To be thinkers? Learning the basic how-tos’ in life? Has our modern culture shifted away and frowned on being generalists?
I love my father-in-law! He can pretty much fix anything and everything! At Christmas, when we are opening those overly wrapped in plastic gifts, he's the go-to. He always has that knife in his pocket, ready for anything. When something isn't working right, he'll figure it out. He specializes in upholstery and is really good and efficient at that, but hasn't let it consume his life so much that he doesn't have time to live or do the other things he enjoys.
I like that!
I think I'll start carrying a pocket knife!
