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A comment on Repair and Remain: How to do the slow, hard, good work of staying put. Parent comment

Re:Repair and Remain: How to do the slow, hard, good work of... by criddell on Monday August 12, 2024 @03:35PM (#41228396)
When I need to work on something around my house that's new to me, I'll spend a little time watching videos of other people doing the thing. That gives me enough of an idea of how involved the work is.

If it's not going to be a quick or easy fix, I then do the calculation of whether or not I want to trade time that I would normally spend on myself or my family for the project. These days there aren't many things that meet that bar. I guess I would frame it as "spend your time wisely because you are rapidly running out of it".

My dad died a few years ago and I've never once wished he had spent more time working on stuff around the house. We would occasionally get in the car and drive somewhere inconsequential talking the entire time. That's what I wish I had more of. All the other stuff I can get from YouTube.

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Re:Repair and Remain: How to do the slow, hard, good work of... by lupire on Monday August 12, 2024 @04:02PM (#41228674)
I don't see why driving in a car is a better place to talk than fixing the sink.
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Re:Repair and Remain: How to do the slow, hard, good work of... by criddell on Monday August 12, 2024 @04:18PM (#41228844)
I lived in a pretty small, rural area and my dad loved to drive. Everything he saw could trigger some kind of story. Plus there were random stops for ice cream which was awesome.

With my kids (who are in college now), there's no way they are going to sit around while I try to fix the sink. If I want to spend time with them, I have to give some consideration to their preferences.

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Re:Repair and Remain: How to do the slow, hard, good work of... by koolba on Monday August 12, 2024 @11:39PM (#41231993)
A car ride is one of the absolute best places to have a conversation. No interruptions, nobody shows up, just enough scenery changing to keep you looking around, but not in view long enough to keep you distracted.
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Re:Repair and Remain: How to do the slow, hard, good work of... by switchbak on Monday August 12, 2024 @04:42PM (#41229091)
Some of my fondest memories are of my Dad and I working on things together. One of the things I most valued about him was his willingness to dive in and learn how things worked, and sometimes even fix them. To each their own, I suppose.
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