Renovation Revolution

Recently I was on the receiving end of a strange compliment. I was discussing a home renovation project I had got myself into when a colleague commented that I was "among the last of a dying breed."

It was enough to stop me in my tracks and frown. Dying breed? Me?

To clarify, she informed me that among her generation (that is younger than my own) there were fewer and fewer men who considered themselves a handyman.

 I guess I do know my way around basic plumbing, electrical and construction, but I'm no Mike Holmes. Still, it gave me pause to think that an entire generation could be on the verge of missing out on the pure testosterone rush of power tools. How can that be? I always assumed there was an innate connection between male DNA and the sound of a high-speed electric or gas motor.

It seems to me that its mostly men who roam the aisles of Reno Depot, Home Depot or any other depot that sells things that bore, rip and drive. It's usually men who think of shopping at Canadian Tire in much the same way as some women think of a boutique clothing store that I would never walk into because I haven't the first clue about fashion or that bizarre system of woman's clothing sizes which men should never discuss out loud.

Come to think of it though, I have noticed an increase in the number of women frequenting those behemoth renovation centres. In fact, when the Home Depot decided to open a store my neighbourhood, head office made a point of stating that it was intentionally targeting women consumers. They may be on to something.

After all, why should men have all the fun when it comes to demolition and construction? Knocking stuff down and building new stuff is cool. The problem is, building things and fixing things is the one constructive thing that guys can do. It's just like the psychologists say, when it comes to propagating the species, men don't really do any of the heavy lifting. We can't grow a babies so we build office towers instead.

One of the fundamental differences between the sexes is that women heal their pain by sharing their problems with a sympathetic ear; men just want to fix problems.

Then again, maybe all of that is just a myth. My taste for sawdust and rubble has more to do with creativity and aesthetics than a Y chromosome. I suspect that's true of all handy-persons. Why should anyone be denied the sheer pleasure of using a sawsall, hammer drill or ten pound sledge by virtue of their gender?

So listen up, younger generations, get thee hence to a Rona or Home Depot near you. Don't miss out on one of life's truly great gifts: knocking crap down and building something new.

Besides, if you're doing it right, it's not nearly as painful as giving birth.