Flyboy
Member
thatguy's got it. It's not "Jack of All Trades," it's "Renaissance Man." And it's a badge of honor--the former, with it's continuation "master of none" implies a mild contempt for somebody who's not particularly good at anything, but just manages to get by.
This actually dovetails nicely with another thought I've had recently. Now, I'll admit that I'm in Oklahoma, and we're not representative of the country as a whole, but I've noticed that every single pilot I know at least owns a gun, and most are more than a little interested in them--matter of fact, of the ones with whom I've discussed the issue, I only know one who doesn't have a concealed carry permit. Now, knowing that studies show 90% of pilots have some sort of a fixation with being in control (myself proudly included), I started thinking that there's a reason that gunnies and pilots seem to intersect with such regularity: both groups like to master their environments, to be in control of their own destinies.
I believe the "Renaissance Man" syndrome is another symptom of that tendency toward self-determination. Myself, I'm a computer programmer and sysadmin, musician (with delusions of mediocrity), I do most of my own auto work[0], I do some woodworking, hunt, fish, cook, can do basic carpentry, wiring, and other home repairs, perform first aid, tie my own flies--and catch fish with them--I can sew (yes, I'm male, and I can sew; bugger off, the lot of you), chop wood, build a fire, sail, dive, ride a horse, ride a motorcycle, fly anything with wings (and a few things without), and convince somebody who's terrified of guns trust me enough to come to the range (it remains to be seen whether I can make her buy her own ammo in the future). And, my skillset is constantly growing. I won't claim to know a little about everything, but I know enough about enough that I can handle most of my life without depending upon others, and could probably survive just fine, thank you, all by myself, with only the tools I have close at hand right now.
I think being a gunny, besides being lots of fun, is related to this desire to be independent. Show me a man who can work on his own home, his own equipment, and can kill, clean, and cook his own food, and I'll show you a man who doesn't need anybody else to survive.
Edit: Forgot to mention, I'm an Eagle Scout as well.
[0] I don't change oil. The difference between doing it myself and having it done is only a dollar or two here, and it's worth the four to eight dollars a year to keep my hands clean and not have to worry about disposing of the oil. When I had a motorcycle, the difference was more pronounced, and I did change my own oil, and I change the oil in my airplane myself, but I don't do cars. Not worth the time or trouble.
This actually dovetails nicely with another thought I've had recently. Now, I'll admit that I'm in Oklahoma, and we're not representative of the country as a whole, but I've noticed that every single pilot I know at least owns a gun, and most are more than a little interested in them--matter of fact, of the ones with whom I've discussed the issue, I only know one who doesn't have a concealed carry permit. Now, knowing that studies show 90% of pilots have some sort of a fixation with being in control (myself proudly included), I started thinking that there's a reason that gunnies and pilots seem to intersect with such regularity: both groups like to master their environments, to be in control of their own destinies.
I believe the "Renaissance Man" syndrome is another symptom of that tendency toward self-determination. Myself, I'm a computer programmer and sysadmin, musician (with delusions of mediocrity), I do most of my own auto work[0], I do some woodworking, hunt, fish, cook, can do basic carpentry, wiring, and other home repairs, perform first aid, tie my own flies--and catch fish with them--I can sew (yes, I'm male, and I can sew; bugger off, the lot of you), chop wood, build a fire, sail, dive, ride a horse, ride a motorcycle, fly anything with wings (and a few things without), and convince somebody who's terrified of guns trust me enough to come to the range (it remains to be seen whether I can make her buy her own ammo in the future). And, my skillset is constantly growing. I won't claim to know a little about everything, but I know enough about enough that I can handle most of my life without depending upon others, and could probably survive just fine, thank you, all by myself, with only the tools I have close at hand right now.
I think being a gunny, besides being lots of fun, is related to this desire to be independent. Show me a man who can work on his own home, his own equipment, and can kill, clean, and cook his own food, and I'll show you a man who doesn't need anybody else to survive.
Edit: Forgot to mention, I'm an Eagle Scout as well.
[0] I don't change oil. The difference between doing it myself and having it done is only a dollar or two here, and it's worth the four to eight dollars a year to keep my hands clean and not have to worry about disposing of the oil. When I had a motorcycle, the difference was more pronounced, and I did change my own oil, and I change the oil in my airplane myself, but I don't do cars. Not worth the time or trouble.
Last edited:
)