“A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.” Robert A. Heinlein, “Time enough for Love”
I have quoted this before :-). Now let´s have a look:
- Change a diaper - check (at least those modern, plastic ones with adhesive patches)
- Plan an invasion - huh?
- Butcher a hog - ah, well, that would be important. I mean I could kill a hog and SOMEHOW slice it in pieces, but it would not be done too expertly. On the other hand I watched my father butcher roes and hares and pheasants when I was a child - let us give it a check.
- Conn a ship - no, I can´t. Although this is on my wishlist/to do list - I would like to learn to sail a ship even out to the high seas (courses are available, I will take them one day).
- Design a building - no, sorry, no chance. Perhaps I could read some outdoor/emergency guides on how to build a suitable hut in the wilderness (I have some of these guides here).
- Write a sonnet - check - haven´t done it yet, but know how to.
- Balance accounts - if it is VERY easy balancing, check, but the anybody can do that ON MY LEVEL - don´t know
- Build a wall - back to those emergency guides, failed as of yet
- Set a bone - never done, but hell, I am a doctor, well, check
- Comfort the dying - check, I hope
- Take Orders - check (unwillingly :-) - no, check, if I can respect the one who gives the orders)
- Give orders - check
- Cooperate - not my greatest asset, but yes, check
- Act alone - check
- Solve equations - I was good at maths in school , so a hesitant check here.
- Analyze a new problem - I guess check, because I am quite good at analyzing
- Pitch manure - it´s about disgust, and touching dirty and smelling things and doing “low” work - well, check - if I must
- Program a computer - check, because I am better at it than MOST people while being quite lousy at that
- Cook a tasty meal - check
- Fight efficiently - hmm, fight as clever as possible, fight with determination, fight desperately, yes, check - I don´t know about “efficient”, I have never trained fighting - so no “check”, after all? I always wanted to do martial arts, but I feel too old now for that, afraid of looking silly.
- Die gallantly - WHO knows? We all hope, don´t we?
Let me add a few things I consider interesting:
- - Read the Tarot - check, I am learning
- - Use and understand human symbols and archetypes - check, I am learning, see above :-)
- - Speak several languages - ah, well, on my todo-list, but I have not been making much progress
- - Repair a car, repair a bicycle - no, I cannot and I consider this as really missing
- - Sing - check
- - Know history - check, I know SOME history
- - Be able to tell a good story - check
- - Know as much about human mythology, as possible - check, I am reading and learning
- - Explain how the gadgets and apparatuses of our everyday life really work -I cannot, but I got a book on “How things work” which explains about central heating, motors, pumps, steam engines, electricity and such. And I have collected a few books on electronics, electronic circuits, boolean algebra and the history of computers - aren`t computers black boxes to YOU (even if you are proficient at using or even programming them?).
- - Recitate poems - restarted learning some of my favourite ones by heart
- - live with and cure plants and animals - I am good with plants, had a dog and a cat as a child, but don´t know too much about animals and their health-related questions.
What would YOU add?
BTW The How-to of the Day is a very good website and source in that respect!
