Why DIY?

DIY = Do It Yourself.

It's a philosophy popularized on cable television home improvement shows, satirized by comedians, glamorized and enabled by a multi-billion-dollar hardware and building supply industry.  Romantic portrayals of the home handyman abound in advertising and popular media.  It is an ideal that hearkens to our pioneer spirit, prodding us to pit our own abilities against the elements - to protect and render comfort unto ourselves - and emerge victorious.  Practically speaking, DIY is an opportunity to shift gears from the daily grind - to get our hands dirty and accomplish something tangible for our own quality of life that doesn't involve clicking a mouse.

DIY is a way of life.  It becomes habit, and grows on itself.  Left unchecked, it will take on extreme proportions.  One day, as a new homeowner, you're hesitantly picking up a paint roller for the first time.  Ten years later and you're gutting your kitchen for a full renovation.  Stuff like that can happen.  Friends and family (whose response to the word "drill" is to think of their last trip to the dentist) will ask, "Why DIY?"  When you get tired of answering those questions, just send them a link to this page.

Also, read on ... the following items are from my own experience.  Let me know if you have any other reasons for being a DIYer.




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