A male someone I know told me that guys like to have tools and gadgets and equipment and that those things are guy toys. The bigger the better. I think this is generally observed to be true. There is something said about the "the bigger the boy, the bigger the toy."
Over the years I have had occasion to call upon handymen to get minor chores done around the house. One time, I had a disconnected satellite dish on the roof, and it flopped over the eave. I arranged with a handyman to come by and dismount it. I planned to stay home from work, so I could pay him. Well, it was raining that day, and he did not show up (no kidding.) So a couple of days later, I got home from work and the disc was removed: They had put a ladder on the front of the house, climbed the roof, and did the deed on the roof at the back of the house. He eventually called me to get paid. He wanted to come by "sometime Saturday morning" to get the check, but could not give me a specific time. We agreed that I would write a check and "hide" it on my front porch. I ran errands, got home, and the check was still in hiding. Later that day, he came by and I gave him the check. He was almost cavalier about whether or not he got paid. I think the thrill of the almost clandestine escapade was a reward for him!
A couple of years later, I was taking bids to get a tree cut down. I had several bids, and a couple of the bidders seemed unreliable. This same handyman was someone I called. He remembered doing work for me before. He was so excited about doing the job, and getting the equipment in that would be needed for the job. It scared me a little. I thought he was too fanatical and unrealistic about the plan. He was so hyped! I did not get it. His bid was much lower than the tree company I eventually used.
The tree company was professional, calm, and very authoritative about what would be required to remove the tree. I almost went with the handyman, but his fervidness put me off. I should have seen it for what it was: excitement at getting to play with big toys! Oh well, that lessen cost me a higher fee than the handyman would have charged. But I had every confidence that the tree removal service I engaged would remove the tree without dropping it on my roof, or my neighbor's roof, and do the clean up afterwards. They did just that. I was not sure about the handyman, because he was literally licking his lips to get the job and play with big toys and risky tasks!
Last week, I had the bathroom remodelled. The guys doing it were very good: professional, considerate, communicative about what was happening, consistent, prompt. They paid attention to my concern about not letting a cat escape. They wiped their feet before they came into the house. They checked about appliances before they tried circuit breakers to find the one they needed
They noticed little extras that they fixed. When I told them I talked to the contractor about getting towel racks installed later, they said I could call them directly to do that.
Well, the owner/contractor called me Monday to set up a time for the men to come to my house and install the towel rack. We set upon noon Tuesday. I got home and sure enough, a crew showed up a few minutes after noon. There were two guys. Not the two guys who did the remodelling work. These to guys came into the house each carrying a tool kit. They assessed the job, and made two or three more trips to their truck to get additional equipment.
Mind you, they both had tool belts loaded with stuff: I am not sure what, but cell phones, and tape measures were obvious.
Now, I could probably install towel racks. I would do it with a pencil, a drill and bits, wall anchors, hammer, tape measure, screwdrivers. I would have probably bought a stud finder to do this. But, I had visions of me making unnecessary holes in the walls, newly replaced, re-textured and painted.
I realized today what the allure of being a handyman is: These guys get to "fix" things. They get to play with tools, and gadgets. The more tools they can use, the better. The bigger tools they get to use, the better. If they have to go out and buy a special tool, that is "cool." The more "different" stuff they get to do, the better.
I am not sure that being a handyman is a high dollar lucrative business. But, it allows someone to be his own boss, set his schedule in cooperation with his clients, and play with really cool tools and gadgets. Wow! I get it. I think it is a guy thing.
I know that there are some handyperson services out there staffed by women. They emphasize competence, reliability, professionalism. I wonder if they get off on playing with tools the way guys do.
Okay, so this is a very sexist blog entry.
But it really does point out the difference between they way men and women approach tasks and chores. There is nothing wrong with that difference. We are just different. But, as long as we are dedicated to doing a good job, it does not matter. What matters is the dedication to doing a good job.
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