Day 12 - Self-Install a Cable Package

Date: January 18th, 2010

There are some days that doing something I've never done before is amazing, enlightening and new.  There are some days when doing my new things feels comfortable and familiar or spiritual.  Then there are days like today.

A lot of the things on my to-do list this year are life skills that I probably should've mastered by now, but haven't for whatever reason.  I'll be doing my own taxes when the time is right, for example.  To that end, when I found out my parents needed their new cable package set up, I decided it was time to learn how to install cable.


I mean, don't get me wrong.  I know how to install cable, but my method usually involves calling the cable company and setting up an appointment.  You know the old joke about "I don't make dinner.  I make reservations."?  Yeah, that's how I was with cable installation.  Why would I fight with wires when I could sit back and hope for an adorable cable guy to come do it for me?

If only...

...but those days are behind me.  Mostly because my cable is already set up the way I want it to be.  In the meantime, my personal cable installation experience was significantly less glamorous.

 Not working for me.

There was nothing particularly difficult about it, but for some reason, before going through the process, it really did feel daunting.  I somehow just assumed it was difficult.  It really wasn't.  The most complex skills involved were reading and shape recognition.

 

You wouldn't be able to handle it.

Though somewhat annoying, the whole process only took about an hour and it did feel pretty good to know I can handle it.  The one thing I did get thinking about today was that we sometimes let ourselves be guided by untrue assumptions and avoid trying to do things we could easily accomplish.  In my case, I've existed with the belief that I'm "not good with technology" long enough that whenever something has wires I start looking up who to call and deal with it so I don't have to.

This has a wire.  I find it new and scary.

It felt good to be self-sufficient.  Or, well, sufficient on behalf of my parents.  Either way.  I mean it.  I had a genuinely nice feeling.  I'd call it a mix of happiness and satisfaction with just a light hint of pride.  I hope I don't lose that feeling whenever I do something like this.  It strikes me that people probably don't realize that they are doing something others don't know how to do when they install cable, paint a room, or any of a hundred other different home maintenance tasks.

Then I gave myself flowers.

All in all, I'd say it was a good day.  The main takeaway for me was that just because something falls in an area of expertise that I don't have, doesn't mean I can't do it.  Huzzah.