Thursday, April 7, 2011

Being a Renaissance Man

I enjoy doing a lot of things and I honestly believe that it will benefit me and my family in the long run.  I think that a lot of people these days are only equipped with one or two skills.  We go to college and "major" in one thing.  We learn a trade and focus entirely on that trade.  What happens if that major or trade goes away?  It's happening all around us.

I read that the economy is rebounding and that the "recession" is over.  I just have a hard time believing it.  I still see people without jobs.  I still see the prices of consumer goods soaring.  There are jobs out there though.  I see them every day.  Do people just not want them or are they not qualified to perform the task?  I don't really have the answer, but I suspect that it's a little bit of both.  I'm a trained PR man.  I got a quality education and learned all about crafting messages, channeling information and managing perception.  What if that was all I had?  Scares the hell out of me sometimes.  I work hard.  I love what I do, and I think I'm pretty good at it.  However, I am employed at the will of a state government entity that is suffering major economic setbacks.  I need something else to go with that.  Not only knowledge that makes me a commodity, but knowledge that edifies me personally.  I'm not talking about a masters degree either.  I'm talking about skills.  I've learned a lot of random things, but I have a hunger for more.  I want to learn how to deliver a breeched calf.  How to stitch up a wound.  How to code a cool Web site.  How to read a topographical map.  How to take a professional looking picture.  And by God I still want to go to Auctioneering School too!

At the risk of sounding a like a kooky apocalyptic naysayer, I think we seem to be losing that desire to learn and take care of ourselves in society today.  That scares the hell out of me.  I suppose that I'm not really an expert at anything that I do, but I do most of it pretty good.  I'm convinced that a strong back and a will to work is the most valuable skill of all.  It's hard to get myself motivated to do any of the things I mentioned.  They're all hard and they don't pay worth a damn.  I don't know if it's God or if it's my environment, but something keeps telling me that I need to continue diversifying my skills portfolio.  Learn as much as I can.  As kooky or apocalyptic as it sounds, that's what I'm gonna do.

Ya'll take it easy,

Alex

5 comments:

  1. Not kooky at all. Unfortunately, in today's society there's no real push to learn anything outside one's specialization. It really is a shame. On one hand, if everything did crash, a lot of people would be in a world of hurt. On the other, the art of conversation is a lost one, as a good portion of society is walking around with blinkers on unless the topic of conversation is their specialization. Kudos to you for wanting to learn more. It's an enriching experience, if anything. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Nothing wrong with learning everything that you can! We may just all need it one day!

    ReplyDelete
  3. That's the idea Trey. Thanks for taking a moment to read! Thanks to you too Rae!

    ReplyDelete
  4. My husband and I relate to everything here in your writings...we too are worried about people not having life skills for basic survival. Everyone thinks the Walmart down the street will always be open. Our goal is to become as self-sufficient as possible as well. We NEED more JACK-OF-ALL-TRADES and less MASTER-OF-NONE because they will the first will be more diversified, at the least. I think I'm going to have to write about some of this on my blog too - just had dinner with my husband and we discussed solar energy, etc. on our land...so much to think about and to research and prepare for...thanks for getting my mind pumped again!

    Lana C.
    www.FarmLifeLessons.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. The possibilities are endless Lana! It's an exciting time! I wish you and your husband all the best and look forward to reading your thoughts on the subject.

    ReplyDelete