I wonder how people become so fascinated with a single subject or activity? It’s something I think about often when seeing what others have accomplished or profess to be expert in. I have no doubt that many are just that, expert level, but I wonder how you become that fascinated. Is it simply a lack of concentration on my part? Am I taking the easy way out? If so, the easy way out of what? I’m thinking of this professional level. Seems like that is the big selling point for any number of things, it’s professional grade. And I don’t consider myself as a professional anything.

In my way of thinking the only difference between an amateur, hobbyist or professional is that the pro gets paid for doing whatever it is they are doing. In that manner of classification I have been a professional in a wide variety of occupations. I have, at various times, been a stationary engineer, a plumber, a mechanic, a landscaper, a heavy equipment operator, a truck driver, a maintenance man, a grocery clerk and a carpenter. Oh, and I was an upholsterer for a couple years too. Custom furniture recovering. I have been paid to perform all of those jobs and a few others as well. I’m not an expert in any of those trades. Getting paid, being a professional is no indication of your actual skill level. As my father often pointed out, there are a lot of educated damn fools in the world.

I have a whole slew of certificates for various trades, skills and occupations. I don’t have a college degree though and that seems to be quite important to many people. Have I been remiss in not obtaining one of those? I have no doubt that I could have done so, had I chosen to do that. It’s just that I never wanted to do that. What area would I study? As I mentioned, I’m not fascinated with any one subject to that degree. I guess that is the answer, to a degree.

The only time I was ever required to show my high school diploma was when joining the Navy. That diploma made me eligible me certain programs not offered to non-grads. By the time I became a Navy recruiter a high school diploma or GED was required to join the Navy. Beyond that I was never asked to produce any diplomas. Of course, I never applied for any job where that was a requirement. Every occupation I had was performance based. Either you could do the job, or you could not. Pay and employment were consummate with that. I was never fired so I’m saying I was competent enough in whatever job I was assigned to do. Not expert, but competent.

I’m just wondering what will be said after I’m gone. What I mean is, how will I be described or remembered, assuming that I am of course. No one will be able to say I was a professional anything besides a member of the United Sates Navy. When I think of my own father I remember a man that in my view could do just about anything. He certainly worked in a number of trades during his lifetime. He was very good at a number of them in fact, expert level in my opinion. I can’t claim to reach the level of competency that he had in any of those trades. I’m just an amateur, little more than a hobbyist when it comes right down to it.

I like to think of myself as a renaissance man. Interested in a wide variety of subjects and dabbling in all of them. Certainly not like Leonardo or the others of that period as far as skill goes, but the interest is the same. I have discovered I have very little artistic ability, no great painting coming from this direction. No great inventions either, what’s left to invent? I’m not that forward thinking. But if you need someone with basic skills and knowledge in the trades, I’m your man. With the exception of electronics and computer programming, I can pretty much get the job done for you. It will be functional. A handy man? Yes, I guess that best describes me, I’ m handy to have around. That’s not a bad thing.

Had one like this when I was a kid. Yes, it had real functional tools in it. A hammer, a saw, screwdriver, level, and a clamp are what I remember, maybe a chisel too.