Are you lowering yourself?

[jmorris]

I think more and more people are not doing things for themselves doesn't matter that much when its a cheese burger but few even change their own oil in their car.

once you have enough money to own your own, airplane for example, unless you are retired, have someone else do the work.

same goes for boats. Lots of folks make money doing work on items they don't own.

 

[handlerer2]

I must be the lowest of the low then! I only buy ammo to zero a new rifle and get brass in that caliber to reload.

I don't think that I've bought centerfire ammunition for any other purpose since 1976.

I went to college too. One thing I did learn was that professional teachers didn't always impress me. Ever heard the saying? "Those who can do, those who can't, teach".

 

[Lost Sheep]

It would be highly detrimental for any of those guys to be seen "chopping wood". It's just an image thing, and it's necessary for business.

Which recent President of the United States famously went chopping wood at his ranch whenever he took a vacation from Washington D.C.?

Or was it clearing brush?

He replied, with a sniff, that he knew nothing about faucet washers and would never lower himself to do that kind of manual work.

Besides, I consider it a point of pride to be able to fix my own plumbing, pack my own bearings on my bike and diagnose my own firearms, car and computer, if not repair them.

Independence is not "beneath" a a person. A person is inadequate to the task.

Thanks for sharing. I have known such people who suffer from this disease. Professors, engineers, bankers, mostly. Blue collar workers, farmers, etc. seem to have an immunity to that particular malady.

What could have been said to turn on the light of understanding in this guy might be hard to figure and elusive in the moment. But it does make a darned good story.

Lost Sheep

 

[Scorch]

I guess I have no pride. I load ammo. I fix guns. I get paid for both of those occupations. In the past, I have also drank cheap beer, eaten bad hamburgers, and had sex with women who had no chance of becoming supermodels or winning the Nobel Peace Prize. I guess I have lowered myself. That's OK.

 

[biggfoot44]

Yes , there are situations where image is mandatory. This is more so in high level dealmaking than academia per se.

But don't be too harsh on that prof , after all he was a shooter , and in a gun store , that alone puts him ahead of 90% of his peers.

In hindsight the faucet washer analogy didn't fly. In retrospect emphasising the custom handcrafting aspect , or pointing out that is easier than flytieing or home winemaking.

 

[hooligan1]

Well I've worked as a treetrimmer, powerline clearance, and residential, now a plumber both commercial and residential.... My workmate and I are still finishing hookin up 27 roof top units on a new Sams Club.. it's a white membrane roof... 120 degrees when sun is at noon position...
I'd Damn sure rather be handloading ammunition...... maybe that proffesor could do well from a little walking too.

 

[FISHY-A-NADO]

He replied, with a sniff, that he knew nothing about faucet washers and would never lower himself to do that kind of manual work.

He's embarrassed if people see dirt under his fingernails.

Sadly, I know people who fit both those descriptions. Maybe I'm too "old school", but as far back as I remember, my dad taught me to be as self sufficient as I possibly could. Any time something new came up, I would throw myself into learning everything I could about it so I could do it myself. It is a pride thing for me. My dad taught me to be a mechanic and I still work on my own cars, motorcycle, lawnmower, etc. I started repairing major appliances as an apprentice at the ripe old age of 12 and I have never paid an appliance repairman. I am now 51 years old, been a homeowner for 28 years and a parent for 30. I have two engineering degrees plus a degree in accounting and I make a very attractive salary but I have never considered anything to be beneath me. I take tremendous pride in the fact that I am self sufficient. I have taught myself plumbing, electrical, woodworking and carpentry and have done all those things for myself and for hire on more than one occasion. I also cut and chop my own wood and I mow my own lawn with a push mower.

I have had friends ask me many times why I don't hire someone to do this or that for me. They look at me like my head is on backward when I tell them it's because it's much more fun to do it for myself. Thay can't seem to grasp the idea that it's not a money thing.

The professor was UNABLE to do something, so rather than confess ignorance or incompetence, he would proclaim said task as beneath him?

This might be more true than we think......

 

[serf 'rett]

Lost Sheep states

I have known such people who suffer from this disease. Professors, engineers, bankers, mostly.

While I would agree with the profs and bankers part, that was just a plain ol, mean spirited, shot at us engineers!

Lost Sheep's gonna mash a finger in his Lee turret for that one!

Both the degree holding Civil Engineers in our office are cartridge packers.

If Lost Sheep even thinks about responding, he should be aware of two of our engineer mottos:

An Engineer never makes mistakes! (We do sometimes have minor miscalculations)

Arguing with an Engineer is like wrestling with a pig in the mud. After a while you will realize the pig enjoys it.

Response to OP - Lower than snake's belly in wagon rut - reload my ammo, change oil in my cars and got a couple of water control devices to rebuilt this weekend in tub and sink.

 

[Jbotto]

As a current student, I whole heartily believe this story!

I think serf'rett's post takes the cake in this thread!

 

[FISHY-A-NADO]

Arguing with an Engineer is like wrestling with a pig in the mud. After a while you will realize the pig enjoys it.

We also use the following from time to time:

Arguing with an engineer is like trying to teach a pig to sing. It wastes your time and annoys the pig.

 

[n5lyc]

Image is everything to some people.

A friend of mine is a CFO of a rather large company.
and has to spend 5 days a week in a $1000+ suit.

He is a shooter, likes to reload(i got him started in reloading)
But on weekends, he likes to ride atv's and motorcycles, shooting and fishing.

I can't count the days that I have seen Tommy so covered in mud or dirt, you can only see his eyes and his teeth when he is smiling.

Chest deep in mud, only the handlebar & snorkel of his 4 wheeler sticking out of the water, and a grin from ear to ear.

He says he can never let his co workers know what his weekends are like as it would lower their opinion of him. (he says they are some really shallow people).

I told him he needs to find another job, but he really likes the money..
(his quarterly bonuses are more than i make in a year)

I don't think i could not do that for very long, (the dual life thing)

I say, this is me, if you don't like it, there's the door...


45 Bravo

 

[buck460XVR]

Originally posted by James K:

Are you lowering yourself?

I don't consider the ability to make custom grade ammo as a downgrade. I also don't see changin' a washer in a facet as one, as it allows me to save $50 an hour for a service call. My wife manages a restaurant that caters to those folks that tend to think quite highly of themselves. The stories of the treatment and put downs these folks direct at the servers, bar tenders and other workers is beyond belief. Bein' the woman she is, my wife has a hard time bitin' her lip and lettin' it go. But one see's the same thing here. Folks that claim anything but a high end custom gun is junk and those poor folks that use Colt factory 1911s are "just barely gettin' by". Then there are those that can't understand why some folks still insist on reloading on a single stage press. Don't they know one isn't really a legitimate handloader unless his equipment is blue and he can crank out 2000 rounds an hour. Heck, a super 1050 is only $1600 more than a rockchucker.

.....now, before some of you folks get offended, I ain't sayin' everyone with a Les Baer or a Dillon is a horses behind, just as not all of my wife's customers are. I was only using them as examples. It's just some of those that own them believe they have some sort of superiority over those who don't. Kinda like the Prof that can't lower himself to fix his own facet.

 

[KMAX]

Therapy

Manual labor is good for the soul! I hate to pay someone else to do something for me that I am capable of doing for myself and I like to learn how to do new things sometimes. I like to be as self sufficient as possible. For me reloading is an economic thing, but even more it is a hobby and therapy.

Also, the Prof may not have the ability to change his own faucet washers. Maybe we should have pity on him for his incompetence.

 

[dahermit]

Are you lowering yourself?

Absolutely! And I lower myself frequently.

 

[m&p45acp10+1]

I am an industrial janitor I have no fear of work. I also grew up working cows, so getting dirty was never a big thing for me. For a lot of things I prefer to do it myself. I have a back yard garden. I tie my own bass flies. I make my own rope. I made my own ghillie pancho, and hood. (Could have bought both for the same, or maybee less than the one I made.) I built my own blinds for hunting. I have made my own tents for camping, as well as my own sleeping bags. Custom made my frame back packs when I was scouting. Ammo reloading was a no brainer for me to do. It was just a matter of when.

I know several high pay execs (300K plus a year) that have no problems, or shame if coworkers know that they get thier hands dirty on thier own time. Two of them build hot rods in thier spare time. One restores old tractors. One owns a cattle ranch, and works alongs side the hired hands when he has the time. One happens to be the best transmission man I have ever seen. (His dad owns a transmission shop.)

I have encountered those that think it is below thier socio economic status to actualy do any type of labor othe than filing forms, reading reports, or lifting a coffee cup. Most of them tend to be very snobish, and have a low opinion of 99% of the people in the world anyway.

 

[wogpotter]

Having repaired & tuned equipment of 50 years I guess I can't sink any lower. I can (by his spoilt arrogant viewpoint) walk under a snake wearing a top hat anyway, theres nowhere to go but up.

 

[BigJimP]

No, its another part of the gun hobby....

I could care less what others think....

I've been reloading off and on .....for about 50 yrs.../ and these days, it lets me shoot 3 times more with the same ammo budget, gives me more accurate ammo than I can buy ....and its easy and fast to do with a good progressive press.

 

[SIGSHR]

I have an MBA, teach community college part-time, I know the type. Academia gets a lot of that type. There was John Von Neumann-incredibly brilliant, powerful memory, almost single handedly conceived the idea of computer progamming. Terrible driver, couldn't boil water.

 

[Sure Shot Mc Gee]

"Sounds like the feller had a preempted plan of attack before he even enter the shop." I have always thought: When one is blessed with an over abundance of intelligence. There's usually less room set aside for common sense!" O well_

S/S

 

[Wyoredman]

He replied, with a sniff, that he knew nothing about faucet washers and would never lower himself to do that kind of manual work.

I like these type of guys! I am a plumber and they are the people who willingly pay me $100 to change their faucet washers so I can afford my reloading supplies!