To say I failed would be too strong; to say I succeeded would be a flat our lie. I tried to install new lights. What I was good at? Turing off the circuit breaker, assembly the light fixture, grounding the wires. What went wrong? I'm not tall enough, don't have a large enough ladder or four hands. So I can follow the instructions but I wasn't prepared (as I hadn't read the instructions first) and I needed help.
The same situation took place with my toilet. It's running and it won't seem to stop. I looked up a how-to online. I gathered the proper tools (or so I thought) and I started to try and fix it. No such luck. Again, I had the wrong wrench and the sealing wax I needed was sold out so I bought something similiar (big mistake).
So what now? My hallway lights are still out and my toilet still wastes gallons of water, everyday.
I think I'll take the same approach I took with my car; call a professional.
But it really did teach me something; I'm a planner but I also like to learn things as I go. This has served me well in places like Morocco, Mali and across Europe as I always had the right visas and the proper plane tickets. But it's also how I ended up on a train to Tangier, as opposed to Fez; has landed me in some pretty bad neighborhoods and is also why my apartment is starting to resemble a junk shop (extra air conditioner, random faucets, wrong size curtains, etc.).
And looking back on it, it has been a flaw of mine all my life. I can't be worried about the details; point the car in the right direction and I'll find it; was it two tablespoons, or three, oh what the hell, the cake will rise.
So what do I about it? I think, at least in the beginning, I'm going to take the advice of Mac from Mac's Tires today: slow down, it's there, you just have to pay attention and take care.
Seems like reasonable advice for someone who is always moving too fast to sweat the small stuff.
