Jack of All Trades

Like most people, my experiences in life have allowed me to acquired knowledge and skills. I'm not talking Liam Neeson skills.  Sorry Katie, you get kidnaped in Paris and you are on your own.  However, I definitely meander my way through most household and general repairs and maintenance.  Katie, when you buy your first house, I'm your man.

I have always struggled with the concept of hiring outside help to do work or repairs that I can do myself. When there is no urgency behind a project, I usually try to take the opportunity to learn whatever the specialty may be or at least become familiar with it enough to get the job done.  This is how one acquires knowledge and skill (YouTube is also pretty handy).  Wisdom comes from the trial and error and the occasional realization that maybe I should have called a plumber or other professional when I have found myself in way over my head.

Further to my post last week, I have been immersing myself in a menagerie of projects around the house and the yard.  This weekend's project was replacing and packing the bearings of our older trailer we bought.  Although it has been over a decade, I have done this before so it wasn't too far out of my wheelhouse to complete.  However, there is still the refamiliarization process, the reviews of several YouTube videos and the confirmation texts to mechanically inclined friends.  Although, I did have to buy an extra set of bearings as I wrecked one set in said refamiliarization process and it took me probably two to three times longer than if I took the trailer to a service center, the cost was a fraction and I refreshed my knowledge on this.  This is not uncommon on many of the projects that I have undertaken.  

Occasionally, the cost of the above mentioned process has exceeded that of hiring a professional, but what price can you put on knowledge.  Am I right?

(Pause for a fist pump and a woohoo from all the DIYers)

This however, got me thinking of the expression "Jack of all trades, master of none". Wait a second.  Hold the phone Liam Neeson! I am on a journey towards mastery.  Does dabbling here and there in this, that and the other thing contribute toward mediocrity? Now, I know this is just an expression and this may be more of an issue of semantics, but if one is truly striving for mastery in his or her everyday life, does this "apply" to the occasionally used knowledge and skills described above.  Or is mastery in one's everyday life more applicable to the seeking, learning and application of knowledge and skills in a variety of fields and subjects that most people have no opportunity or need to master per se?

For most people, being a "Jack of  all trades" is a necessity and is usually part of those proverbial "life skills" you hear so much about when you are a teenager or young adult.  

I am sure this is a very subjective concept and the intent behind the acquisition of knowledge and skill is what truly matters when we refer to "Mastery in one's everyday life".

I'd be happy to hear other thoughts on this concept. 

Thanks for reading.

Mike