So great is our passion for doing t

So great is our passion for doing things for ourselves that we are becoming
increasingly less dependent on specialized labour. No one can plead ignorance of a
subject any longer, for there are countless do-it-yourself publications. Armed with
the right tools and materials, newly – weds gaily embark on the task of decorating
their own homes. Men of all ages spend hours of their leisure time installing their
own fireplaces, laying – out their own gardens; building garages and making
furniture. Some really keen enthusiasts go so far as to build their own record
players and radio transmitters. Shops cater for the do-it-yourself craze not only by
running special advisory services for novices, but by offering consumers bits and
pieces which they can assemble at home. Such things provide an excellent outlet
for pent-up creative energy, but unfortunately not all of us are born handymen.

Wives tend to believe that their husbands are infinitely resourceful and versatile
even husbands who can hardly drive a nail in straight are supposed to be
electricians, carpenters, plumber and mechanics. When lights fuse, furniture gets
rickety, pipes get clogged, or vacuum cleaners fail to operate, wives automatically
assume that their husbands will somehow put things right. The worst things about
the do-it-yourself game is that sometimes husbands live under delusion that they
can do anything even when they have been repeatedly proved wrong. It is a
question of pride as much as anything else.