Nature or Nurture?
A short reflection on curiosity, stubbornness, and building things — whether I should or not.A short reflection on curiosity, stubbornness, and building things — whether I should or not.
A SATURDAY STORY
People love to debate how someone turns out the way they do. Is it because they were simply born that way — nature? Or is it because of how they were raised — nurture?
I tend to believe it’s a little of both.
For years, I made my living as a handyman. Now, when people hear “handyman,” they usually picture a guy who does a lot of things, none of them particularly well, but he’s cheaper than a real professional, so people hire him anyway.
I tried to break that mold. My goal was to do a lot of different things really well.
People would sometimes ask how I learned to do all the things I did. Fair question.
The short answer? I’ve never been afraid to try. I’m curious. I watch others, ask questions, and figure things out. Plus, I have a little natural ability in those areas.
The longer answer, the one I’ll share here, is that for as long as I can remember, I’ve been wired to DIY… for better or worse.
It wasn’t born out of economic necessity (though I’m not a rich man). It comes from a stubborn curiosity and an itch to see if I can do it myself. I can’t help myself. If I see something that catches my interest, I want to figure out how to make it with my own hands.
It’s always been that way.
Projects I Dreamed Up as a Kid
Some sort of flying machine — mini-copter, para-glider, small airplane… I never settled on one, so that project never got off the ground.
A small car — I had plenty of designs in mind. Like the flying machine, it never got rolling.
An electric vehicle — This teenage project idea came from a Popular Mechanics magazine. It seemed doable. Keep in mind, this was before Tesla existed as even an idea.
Projects I Actually Tackled
Taxidermy — I did a few fish. They were… moderately lifelike.
Leatherworking — I made belts, wallets, and even a leather silhouette of a Native American. My mom kept that one for years. No idea where it ended up.
A hammer from raw steel — That became Mom’s go-to household hammer for a long time.
A guitar — I started building one… turns out, I had no idea what I was doing. That project quietly disappeared.
Fishing gear — I made my own fishing poles and poured my own lead sinkers back before we knew lead was a problem.
A tonneau cover for my truck — Bought upholstery vinyl, sewed a Chevy emblem in the center and it actually looked good. After I finished it I was out cruising a small town and someone happened to have a camera and took a picture of my truck. Not a big deal today, but that was before everyone had a camera in their pocket.
A pallet wood desk — Long before pallet projects were trendy, and because I had no money, I built a desk from pallet wood. Used it for years. Sold it in a garage sale. A friend unknowingly bought it at a different garage sale, discovered one of my business cards in the drawer, and realized it had been mine once upon a time.
My biggest project — Buying an old house in Tulsa, having it moved 20 miles, and completely transforming it into our family home.
My mom cried when she first saw it. They were
not tears of joy… more like “What have you done?”
The funny thing is, my dad wasn’t this way. My brothers aren’t either.
So… nature or nurture?
It’s not genetic — unless it skipped a generation or two. But it definitely feels like something wired into me, not something my parents deliberately encouraged.
Honestly? I don’t know the answer. Maybe it’s both. Maybe it’s neither.
What I do know is… I still haven’t outgrown it.
I’d like a small camper. I could just buy one… but where’s the fun in that?
I’ll probably try to build my own.
At least, I think I can.
Thanks for reading!
If you’ve ever taken on a project that maybe you shouldn’t have… or one that turned out surprisingly well… I’d love to hear about it in the comments.
“The funny thing is my dad wasn’t this way. My brothers aren’t either.”
🙋♀️