Responsibility for $500

So, what does it mean to be responsible? I submit that it is simply to do what you say you will do, and fully "own" everything you do.

Do what you say you will do.
Keep your promises. Don't make promises you cannot keep. Don't make "half-promises" that are more like suggestions. If you're going to commit to something, then commit to it. This goes back to the whole idea of "let your yes be yes and your no, no." Do what you say you will do.

Fully "own" everything you do.
Before you begin something, know what it will entail (to the best of your ability). And once you've begun something, keep at it - don't leave things unfinished. Also, stay true to your work. Own up to any mistakes and take pride in what you do right. Don't be afraid to ask for help, often asking for help is the most responsible thing you can do.

And with that, I'm going to get onto a project I've committed to for a friend. He's my friend and I said I'd get it done.

Where have all the DIY-ers gone?

Having just "reached a stopping point" (read: not finished, but done for the night and possibly longer, and the thing is usable) on a DIY project in our guest bathroom, I think I can easily say that my DIY cred is high. So, here is my question - where have all the DIY-ers gone?

I know, I know, Doing It Yourself is big. But the very fact that we have a NAME for not hiring a professional speaks volumes. These days, you're a DIY-er if you install a new ceiling fan or even a new plug. I don't QUITE think we're at the faceplate installation = DIY stage, but it's not far off.

But this is America! And if it's not America (for me, at least, for now, it is), then you have even LESS excuse. While we here in the US of A have the "pioneer spirit" and things like "gumption" - over in other countries (where buildings that are 100 years old are "young") ya'll have HISTORY. I mean, you could even have tools passed down from generation to generation to GENERATION TO GENERATION. That's a lot of history. (UK, I'm looking at YOU! Why? Why not France or Spain or some other old world country? Because. That's why.)

Anyways, why are we DIY-ers? Why aren't we "DUH, of course I'm doing this gutter installation myself. It's not like it takes special training to wield a power drill whilst standing on a ladder. I did this when I was 6, holding the screws for my grandpappy." (In other news, Grandpappy is an awesome grandpa name. Take note, o husband mine.)

So, in the spirit of Father's Day - I'm going to encourage fathers everywhere to pass something down to their children. Something practical they learned from their fathers. And dads, make them promise to tell their kids someday soon.

Am I a good neighbor?

What does it mean to be a good neighbor? We're not in the 1950s anymore, so I have to abandon the June Cleaver image in favor of...what? My guess is, it varies widely from neighborhood to neighborhood. So, let me tell you a little bit about where I live.

It's a medium sized house in a medium priced neighborhood. Built in the 1980s, it's not terribly old, nor terribly new. My neighbors speak Spanish, and English, and possibly Korean. I don't know them very well.

The question is - should I? Is the "leave well enough alone" policy that more and more Americans seem to have adopted the best idea? I submit that it is not. I submit that we have something to learn from June Cleaver, and that in this age of LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, we need to rediscover talking through the back fence, sharing lawn tools and block parties. And who knows, maybe the guy over at #1056 will friend you on Facebook or follow your tweets. I think the merging of the two could be a great improver of our lives.

Let's get physical AND virtual!