>> and makes me anxious, because I know I lack the discipline <<
Contextual anxiety is something you can deal with, if you choose to. You can either live with the anxiety or do the work to develop skills to lower it. You don't have to do everything at once -- baby steps are best.
>> to get down and learn how to fix a simple faucet leak, or relearn how to fix a flat or replace the oil in my car (I long ago was taught those things by my Best Beloved, but have never thought to keep up the knowledge with practice. I also haven't had to replace the car's points and plugs because cars just don't have those much anymore, but I digress ....) <<
Most modern cars and other products are not really designed to be repaired, let alone by ordinary people rather than experts. This is a problem, but it is difficult to solve. You could ...
* Many places offer classes in how to fix various things. You can find some online, at local colleges, community centers, home improvement stores, libraries, etc.
>>I am capable of simple sewing (hems, buttons, adding simple darts to things like maska) although I long ago gave my sewing machine to the Goodwill. Cooking and baking I can do. Not panicking when the electricity goes out is not too much of a problem; I also keep candles and oil lamps (and oil) around.<<
Okay, great. Those are things you can trade with people who can do things you can't. Nobody is good at everything. Play to your strengths. What could you add in these areas of skill that would be more useful? Can you make basic garments if necessary? What about campfire cooking?
>> The medical things - first aid, etc. - are the toughest things for me <<
Okay, here you need to compare the costs/risks against the benefits. I'm not great at medical stuff either. It is infuriating to me that I'm so smart, I routinely exceed the skill of "experts" in my worst subject areas. If you are neither happy with nor good at first aid, then you are probably better off selecting different tasks in an emergency. You could stock a good kit to hand off to someone else. You could make friends with people who are better at medical stuff, trading things they can't do that you enjoy and do well. You could practice staying calm and out of the way while others resolve the problem.
>> So much to chew on here. I'll say thank you, though, even if it does make me anxious! <<
If you're anxious about things you can change, like emergency preparation, pick just one small thing to do. Fixing a faucet leak or a flat tire isn't small. (I am the only writer who has been told not to be a plumber. For cause.) Check your car. Does it have a sticker telling when the next oil change should be? Keeping an eye on that is a responsible thing to do. Do you know where to find the water shutoffs in your home? If not, locate those; they're very helpful in spurting-water emergencies. Do you have a siphon? Very handy for removing water from unwanted places.
Emergencies are much less nerve-wracking if "Oh gosh, what if ...?" can be answered with "Then I have tools A, B, and C and contingency plans X, Y, and Z."
Thoughts
Yay!
>> and makes me anxious, because I know I lack the discipline <<
Contextual anxiety is something you can deal with, if you choose to. You can either live with the anxiety or do the work to develop skills to lower it. You don't have to do everything at once -- baby steps are best.
>> to get down and learn how to fix a simple faucet leak, or relearn how to fix a flat or replace the oil in my car (I long ago was taught those things by my Best Beloved, but have never thought to keep up the knowledge with practice. I also haven't had to replace the car's points and plugs because cars just don't have those much anymore, but I digress ....) <<
Most modern cars and other products are not really designed to be repaired, let alone by ordinary people rather than experts. This is a problem, but it is difficult to solve. You could ...
* Learn about the right to repair. Support repair-friendly companies.
* Find a toolshare near you.
* Find a makerspace near you.
* Many places offer classes in how to fix various things. You can find some online, at local colleges, community centers, home improvement stores, libraries, etc.
* If you like reading, there are good books on home repair, car repair, and so on.
>>I am capable of simple sewing (hems, buttons, adding simple darts to things like maska) although I long ago gave my sewing machine to the Goodwill. Cooking and baking I can do. Not panicking when the electricity goes out is not too much of a problem; I also keep candles and oil lamps (and oil) around.<<
Okay, great. Those are things you can trade with people who can do things you can't. Nobody is good at everything. Play to your strengths. What could you add in these areas of skill that would be more useful? Can you make basic garments if necessary? What about campfire cooking?
>> The medical things - first aid, etc. - are the toughest things for me <<
Okay, here you need to compare the costs/risks against the benefits. I'm not great at medical stuff either. It is infuriating to me that I'm so smart, I routinely exceed the skill of "experts" in my worst subject areas. If you are neither happy with nor good at first aid, then you are probably better off selecting different tasks in an emergency. You could stock a good kit to hand off to someone else. You could make friends with people who are better at medical stuff, trading things they can't do that you enjoy and do well. You could practice staying calm and out of the way while others resolve the problem.
>> So much to chew on here. I'll say thank you, though, even if it does make me anxious! <<
If you're anxious about things you can change, like emergency preparation, pick just one small thing to do. Fixing a faucet leak or a flat tire isn't small. (I am the only writer who has been told not to be a plumber. For cause.) Check your car. Does it have a sticker telling when the next oil change should be? Keeping an eye on that is a responsible thing to do. Do you know where to find the water shutoffs in your home? If not, locate those; they're very helpful in spurting-water emergencies. Do you have a siphon? Very handy for removing water from unwanted places.
Emergencies are much less nerve-wracking if "Oh gosh, what if ...?" can be answered with "Then I have tools A, B, and C and contingency plans X, Y, and Z."