this post was submitted on 28 Sep 2023
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Mental Health

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No, not what I've said what others say makes you awesome (though if they're supporting arguments, that's fine).

What do you say makes you awesome?

For me, I'm highly creative and imaginative. I'm unusually playful for an adult and refuse to grow up. Life's too short. I use humor to rise about any obstacle or any situation.

What about you? Let's brag about ourselves!

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[–] CADmonkey 11 points 9 months ago (3 children)

I went decades without realizing I was unusual for this talent, but it has saved me an astronomical amount of money. It's also cost me a lot of money, but whatever.

I am mechanically inclined to the point where it's probably a mental illness in and of itself. I took all my toys apart as a kid, and put them together correctly, all the time. I was fixing and selling broken lawnmowers when I was ten.

I can figure out pretty much any piece of machinery, whether it is broken, whether parts are missing, no matter if I've never seen it before, no matter if that machine does something I didn't know was possible. I once overdid it on the marijuana edibles, and rebuilt a motorcycle engine while I was completely, helplessly stoned. I've made things work again when I was so drunk I couldn't stand. I just thought this was normal, my whole family does it. I was almost 30 before anyone sat me down and pointed out that not everyone can just do that. My wife's family thinks I'm some sort of Wizard because there has been too many times that they have had something broken and expensive, and I managed to fix it for a few dollars.

It's even worse. I have a beautiful 9 year old daughter. Just her living in the same house as I, hanging out with me, and soaking up my madness through osmosis, has warped her permanently. She just assumes that if something is broken, the first step is to see if it can be fixed. She comments when we are following cars that ate running too rich. She not only points out motorcycles, she tells me how many cylinders they have.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 9 months ago (2 children)

She just assumes that if something is broken, the first step is to see if it can be fixed.

The fact that this isn't the norm in society anymore is what baffles me. It's a great mindset to have, and personally I had to rewire myself to think like this as well. The feeling of reviving a dead or dying piece of tech is so much more satisfying than buying a replacement. Not to mention the money saved (usually).

[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Can't do tech very well, but give me needle, thread, and I can mend! Nobody does that anymore, either.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago

I totally did not mean to disregard mending clothes! On the contrary, we buy mostly second hand, and if there is a hole that looks fixable, it's getting fixed. Things are worn until they can't anymore. If they don't look presentable, they're being worn at home until they disintegrate. The problems with fast fashion are a whole different beast but come from the same place as disposable tech.

[–] CADmonkey 1 points 9 months ago

Not to mention the money saved (usually).

That's where the voice of experience comes in. Sometimes you need to just give up on something, even if it can be fixed, because it keeps needing repairs.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Have you considered getting a costume and fighting crime? Because that sounds like a superpower.

[–] CADmonkey 2 points 9 months ago

I wouldn't make a good crime fighter. Maybe more of an inventor who comes up with things for a superhero like Lucius Fox does for Batman. But I'd soon get disgusted with a billionaire who beats up mentally handicapped people instead of doing something to actually reduce crime.

[–] thonofpy 2 points 9 months ago

I'd like to have you on my survival team.