Our teacher in the ancient art of manliness, Brett McKay (and his wife), tells us to learn a manual skill. Because there’s no woman in manual. This is our job. Well, I’m no handyman. I thought. Until I read his long list of “some skills you may wish to consider learning.” For every suggestion I got more excitet; done that – did that last year – did that a lot when I was young! Wow, I’m a handiman! Hold on while I show this to my wife!

But the article got me thinking. Who, besides me, will motivate my sons to learn a manual skill in this digital age? Probably none. And even though I have learned and practiced a lot of manual skills in the past, I must admit that most of my work is now on computers. How are my sons going to appreciate craftmanship if they never see me build a shelf? Or learn the pleasure of fixing things?

Thanks for the tip, Brett. And thanks for explaining the silence of men in this great way:

The satisfactions of manifesting oneself concretely in the world through manual competence have been known to make a man quiet and easy. They seem to relieve him of the felt need to offer chattering interpretations of himself to vindicate his worth. He can simply point: the building stands, the car now runs, the lights are on. Boasting is what a boy does, who has no real effect in the world. But craftsmanship must reckon with the infallible judgment of reality, where one’s failures or shortcomings cannot be interpreted away.

via 30 Days to a Better Man Day 23: Learn a Manual Skill | The Art of Manliness.

photo by Let Ideas Compete.