Easy does it Mr. Fix-it

This is from the New York Times, Easy, Mr. Fix-It By Joyce Wadler.

The article is about how some people think home repair is so easy they can do it themselves. It looks easy on TV and besides, we have this crazy idea that "smart" people can do anything, and those who work with their hands, do so because they are incapable of doing more intellectual work. So you cut out the foundation from under your fireplace so you can dig out your basement and add a pool table? Or how about filling your kerosene heater with gasoline? If it takes a college degree for such things, imagine what you can do with a PH.D?

Things would be a bit different if all children had the opportunity to work with their hands, developing skill in schools. Educational Sloyd offered woodworking and crafts to all children, and one cannot help but wonder if the educational system in Finland may not owe its success to crafts in schools imparting a sense of dignity and respect to all human labor.