On the 45-minute drive home from babysitting my nieces and nephews today, I passed two poor souls changing flat tires on the side of 95 South during rush hour. Ouch. My two little ones were sacked out in their car seats, exhausted after too much fun with the cousins, so my mind was free to wander.
I thought, "Everyone should definitely know how to change a flat tire," followed shortly by, "A top 10 list of things everyone should know how to do would make a great blog post." I sure hope I was right, because here goes (in no particular order . . . this is just how they came to me in the moment).
1. Change a flat tire. Although on this one there is one problem. I know how to change a flat tire. I even know where the jack and donut are stored in my car. My struggle is with getting the darned lug nuts loose . . . must they put them on so tight????
2. Start a wet wood fire. I learned this important skill on High Road, I think they call it "Wheaton Passage" now, the summer before my freshman year at Wheaton. You never know when you may be lost in the wilderness, cold and hungry and damp, and wishing for a fire. It is also useful for your Harman wood stove when the tarp blows off your woodpile in the middle of a torrential rainstorm. . .
3. "Grow your own groceries." I think everyone should be able to feed themselves . . . even if they're growing veggies in pots on the windowsill. (I had planned to insert Luke Bryan's "Country Man" in here, since I'm stealing his line, but the video just does not work for me . . . so I'll just link to the lyrics!)
4. Shoot a gun. See justification for #3. Just make sure you practice using ear and eye protection!
5. Bake bread. Related to #s 3 and 4, but also because there is a magic in bread, especially when it's kneaded by your own bare hands (well-washed, of course!).
6. Play an instrument. Any instrument. (In addition to your voice.) Making music is therapeutic. It also stimulates your brain in unique ways. And when you get to make music with other people . . . there's nothing like it!
7. Speak a foreign language. We live in such a global world. Yesterday I was Skyping with a friend in Africa . . . and I got better reception than when I call my neighbor to set up a play date! Being able to communicate in something other than English is not only broadening, it's becoming necessary. My family's 2nd and 3rd languages are Spanish and ASL. We are not fluent in either of them, but we can communicate on everyday topics . . . as long as the native speaker is patient and slow!
8. Make something with your hands. I believe strongly in handwork: knitting, crocheting, woodworking, braiding rugs, sewing. Whatever it is, handwork keeps you rooted in the basic arts and skills of survival and craftsmanship . . . it lets you create a product that is REAL (as opposed to a blog that really exists only as a series of 0s and 1s!).
9. Swim. You never know when the boat you're on will hit an iceberg, when the bridge you're driving on will collapse, or when someone will call awarding you a free vacation in Bermuda. Whichever it is, you will wish you knew how to swim!
10. Morse Code. I know, this is a weird one. I've just started learning Morse with the kids . . . I have the symbol chart taped to my kitchen cupboard! Maybe I have seen too many movies in which the main character is trapped somewhere--in a collapsed building, on a deserted island, in a locked room--and is saved only because he tapped (or flashed) a message in Morse. Of course, the happy ending depends upon a second person who understands Morse intercepting the message in time. So really, this one is a win-win: you can either be saved or become a hero saving someone else!
So those are mine. If yours are different, I'd like to hear them. As a note, I did remove the annoying "prove you're not a robot" thing for comments, so you should be able to just post. Pick out all the foods? Really? AND all the pictures of mountains??? That is too much even for me!
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