Don't forget to visit my website! Jackie Coleman - Author

Saturday, June 13, 2015

Ten Life Skills You Should Master by Age 30

I love personalizing the wrapping paper and ribbons to the recipients tastes!
I read an article about the ten life skills you should master by age 30. Since I'm passed 30, I wondered how many of these skills, if any, I had mastered. They are:
  1. Changing a flat tire
  2. Repairing your pipes
  3. Assembling an emergency kit
  4. Mixing a signature cocktail
  5. Mastering at least one dish
  6. Wrapping a present
  7. Figuring out the tip
  8. Creating a monthly budget
  9. Effectively packing luggage
  10. Mending clothing
I didn't do as bad as I thought I would!
  1. Changing a flat tire, check! While I have never changed a flat tire, I know how and am certain I could eventually get the job done in an emergency ... providing I could get the lug nuts off.
  2. Repairing your pipes, check! I wouldn't exactly say I have repaired pipes, but I have used a snake to unclog drains, and I have taken the pipes apart under the sink to retrieve something that's been dropped down the drain ... so I'm counting this skill as mastered.
  3. Assembling an emergency kit, check! I once assembled a first aid kit, and although it's been looted in the years since, I do have all, or most, of the items necessary to replenish it.
  4. Mixing a signature cocktail, check! My sweetie and I love Georgia Sun Tea from Logan's, and I've mixed it up for us on occasion. We aren't big drinkers, so the fact that it turns out a little different each time doesn't bother either of us in the least, so I'm going to count this one as a yes.
  5. Mastering at least one dish, check! This one was an easy yes. There are several dishes I make that are devoured so quickly dinner is a blur of hands, forks, and spoons.
  6. Wrapping a present, check! I wrap presents like nobody's business ... they're so pretty people delay opening their gift just to enjoy the wrapping. Part of my Christmas decorations are the beautifully wrapped presents under the tree, and part of the gift is how beautiful the present is wrapped. I'm giving myself extra credit for this one.
  7. Figuring out the tip, check! Sales tax at restaurants here is 8%, so double the tax and you've got a tip that is 16%. Even before the tax hit 8% I was able to quickly calculate a 15% tip ... move the decimal point of the total one digit to the left, then add that amount and half that amount. Calculating a tip is third grade math, not rocket science.
  8. Creating a monthly budget, check! I'm not so good at creating a monthly budget these days, but for many, many years I did exactly that. Even though I no longer do this, I know how, so this one's a yes.
  9. Effectively packing luggage, check! I once packed the exact items of clothing I would need for a weekend youth retreat in a neighboring state. The water was rusty. After my shower, I put on the only dress I brought to wear to the evening dinner ... only to discover my wet hair had smeared rusty water all down my back. My white dress was ruined. After that, I began over-packing ... to the extreme. I have since toned it down quite a bit, and can easily pack for a trip in a carry-on. The hardest part, I've discovered, is not taking too many shoes!
  10. Mending clothes, check! Once upon a time, kids were taught life skills in school. All seventh and eighth grade girls took home-ec (cooking and sewing), and boys took industrial arts. Girls were taught how to cook real food (and cookies!) in real kitchens, and boys built shelves, step ladders, tool boxes, etc. Being "vertically challenged", learning to hem well was not optional! I can sew a hem almost as fast as a machine. You'd have to look pretty close to see the difference from a machine stitch and ones I've sewn by hand. And, I can sew on buttons, zippers, and snaps in my sleep.
My sewing machine was messing up,
so I hemmed these jeans by hand.
Not a perfect job, but definitely passable!
I will give myself a score of 10, although if I'm honest, numbers 2, 3, and 4 were not mastered by the time I was 30. But, since I was unaware I was supposed to learn how to repair pipes, assemble an emergency kit, and mix a signature cocktail before I was 30, I'm going to cut myself some slack and keep my perfect score!

How about you? How many have you mastered?

No comments:

Post a Comment