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Yes, I did just spend an hour watching some American bloke crafting a coffee table from scratch.

Actually, this is a regular occurrence. No Netflix subscription needed in our house.

Downtime for me is watching slow carpentry videos from start to finish.

The only thing I skip is the message from their sponsors in the middle.

For what it’s worth, I’m in reflective mood while watching these videos.

I’m enthralled by their workshops, collection of tools and, apparently, comfortable standard of living.

This makes me question all of the assumptions we were raised on.

You want a good quality of life, we were told, you go to university, then obtain a white collar job.

But no, these craftsmen have the quality of life and a job they love.

Which is why I don’t feel the need to pressure our lad to pursue a degree to set him up for life. Maybe an apprenticeship will suit him just fine.

In truth, I’ve come across many craftsmen, gardeners, builders, plumbers and electricians who seem to be doing much better in life than I am.

In Turkey, we have a workshop-sized basement under our house.

It makes me think I ought to pursue a craft of my own, whether as a hobby or second career.

Well, we can dream. Let’s just forget about my disastrous DIY for now.