Family Matters
The dying art of do-it-yourself
By Isabelle Southcott
It's been said that necessity is the mother of invention and when it comes to do-it-yourself projects this couldn't be more true.
Many years ago when early settlers first came to Powell River most didn't have money to buy anything that wasn't necessary. They didn't pay someone to wash and groom their dog. They didn't pay someone to cut their lawn or trim their hedges. They didn't pay someone to give them a manicure, teach their kids to swim, clean their house, or hem their trousers.
Pioneers either did it themselves or did without. It was just that simple. If they needed something done that they didn't know how to do, they would learn how to do it.
Today more and more people pay others to perform tasks their ancestors would have done themselves. The more society moves in this direction, the greater the risk of losing skills that used to be passed down from generation to generation.
Years ago, most women would have a kitchen garden and they'd can vegetables and make jams and jellies. They would make their own clothing; mend clothes that needed mending, and darn socks that needed darning. Their daughters would help and as they helped they would learn how to do these tasks.
Boys would help their fathers. They learned the art of animal husbandry, how to mend fences, fix broken machinery and equipment, fish, chop wood, and build whatever needed building.
The ability to do it yourself was directly linked to your ability to survive and it was imperative that skills were passed on.
Society has changed. Today we often get others to provide services for us because we don't have time or because we don't want to do it ourselves and we can afford to pay others.
We send our dogs to groomers. We go to the beauty salon to get our hair dyed. We take pants to the seamstress to get hemmed. We hire someone to clean our house or car. We get someone to mow our lawn or build a fence.
Learning to do-it-yourself can be fun. There's a tremendous sense of accomplishment in creating something. Sure, you could go out and buy a birdhouse, but just think how proud your kid will feel when he learns how to build one with you. And think about the money you'll save!
A couple of summers ago my friend's husband built a new deck. All the guys in the neighbourhood came over in the evenings and oohed and aahed at the deck in progress. They talked about the tools he was using and discussed the next step. It took a long time to build that deck. The guy who built it was not a carpenter but the deck he built was beautiful.
In junior high, I learned to sew. I was never a great seamstress but I learned how to follow a pattern and make simple garments. I remember making a wrap around skirt in Grade 7. I was so proud of that skirt! I wore it and wore it and wore it. I still have my old sewing machine but haven't used it in a long time. All it needs is a tune up. All I need to do is get it tuned up and then I will be able to hem all my pants and my children's pants that need hemming. Yes, I can do-it-myself.
