Last updated on September 5, 2022
Do you read the directions and installation instructions? Every time? I don’t and, no, I’m not going to use being a man as an excuse for not reading instruction. I’ll just use it as an excuse for not learning to read them after dozens of “learning experiences”. lol
Last Saturday, Independence Day for the U.S., I decided to fix a few things around the house before I headed out to celebrate with the family. I fixed the bathroom vanity light switch. Bam! Got it in a single try. I’m a superhero.
Next up, take down an insanely large ceiling fan I installed a couple of years ago in our master bedroom. I never got the light part of this thing to work without using the remote and we lost that. I also lost, or probably threw away, the instructions. I put a lamp in the bedroom to fix the ceiling fan. lol
I pulled down the ceiling fan and headed out to Home Depot for a nice ceiling light fixture. We never used the fan anyway and it became a duct collection device.
To make a long story short, once I installed the light and tested it, I called my wife into the room to show off my handy work.
She didn’t look all that impressed. 🙁 Then I notice you can still see the old paint circle where the ceiling fan was. I had no idea why because I bought a fixture with a base that was big enough to cover that.
Then I walked to the fixture box to make sure I had the right one. Inside the box was the un-opened installation instructions I didn’t need. But wait, why is this box so heavy? Under the instructions was a huge decorative metal ring. Oh, extra parts.
As it turned out, everything, including the stupid wiring, had to run through this ring. I had to completely start over again. Now I’m late to the 4th of July party. We have a light and no gaudy ceiling fan though.
When It Gets Embarrassing
At the party, I decide to try out Periscope for the first time. (Find me on Periscope @HotBlogTips) I opened the app and pressed to broadcast button. Wait, the front camera isn’t on, the main back camera is showing. How do I switch? I had no idea so I have to figure it out as I’m live on the air. Thankfully only 4 people were watching but I looked like an idiot.
Then I noticed my brand new Galaxy S6 was lagging and trying to freeze. I still have no idea why. I should have probably restarted the phone before shooting video? I don’t know.
Now I’m finished and want to stop because I just look stupid at this point. I can’t even remember what I was going to say anymore.
Okay, now I don’t know how to turn it off. Really? Another lame attempt at figuring things out as I’m shooting live video.
The app is super simple by design and there a hundreds, if not thousands by now, of how-to Periscope videos out there. You’d think I would have taken five minutes to figure it out, right?
From this moment on, I’ve pledged to myself to open and read the directions every time I install or fix something. After all, how can I keep up this world renowned reputation and continue to look like an expert if I have no idea what I’m doing? 😉
Brian D. Hawkins is a late-blooming thought leader in his mind. So please don't disturb his happy thoughts. It's all he has.
Brian D. Hawkins has been a blogger for over twenty years, having written thousands of public articles on dozens of websites. He currently blogs for NextStepSurvival.com and his personal blog at TheOpinionBlog.com.
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