There’s something calming about knowing how to disassemble something, be it a toy or a house or a car. I’m sure deep down it’s a control issue, needing to understand how every little part of a whole works. But for me it really is a curiosity thing. I just like to understand how objects/people work so that I can more fully appreciate them…and perhaps know what to do when one breaks.
For the past few weekends, I’ve been helping to tear apart and partially remodel a house. Granted, the house in question isn’t in poor condition. And thankfully, since I’m not the major financial backer in the situation I can feel free to make mistakes without worry of causing too much damage to the pocketbook.
It’s not as if we’ve done anything major. Please, let’s not get thoughts of This Old House or even Extreme Home Makeover dancing around your head. In the past two weeks we’ve moved on from disassembling locks, switch plates and closet systems to ripping up tiles and removing sub-floors. This past weekend in particular was especially intriguing because it involved (get ready): uninstalling toilets and sinks and removing vanities! Now, while this wouldn’t exactly tickle the fancy of too many people as a romping good time on the weekend, I was quite happy.
Maybe it’s just an ego stroke for me. I’d hate to reduce it to that but I’m not sure. As I go through life, I’m the type of person that picks up random things and files them away in my head; how to use a sandblaster to remove paint from a car; how to change the rotating belt in a dryer, etc. Now when it comes time to actually apply these random pieces of crap that are tucked away in my noggin I feel a sense of satisfaction. Maybe it’s because people are always poking fun at me for retaining info that they would deem useless (like clean leather with a 6:1 ratio of water to woolite!). Perhaps it’s mere vindication for me that the stupid stuff that sticks in my cerebral cortex is valid and applicable. Or maybe I just like feeling handy. I dunno. But to me, knowing how to remove a toilet and all of the associated functions of how this pipe is connected to this one and why the wax seal is there amuses me. Now every time I see a toilet I know exactly how all parts of it work, and if someone asked me to help them remove it I could without blinking.
All in all, I guess it’s not the worst flaw to have. I could be weak for heroin or be a habitual liar or something. I just like to take things apart. And thankfully I get to use other peoples belongings as learning tools. However, unlike all of my sister’s toys that I took apart and never put back together, I think I’m going to have to put the toilets back in as soon as I’m done learning how to lay a tile floor.
PS - by the way, the four-point hinges/knuckle joints that hold on Star Wars/GI Joe figurines heads are definitely worth a closer look.
