I try not to buy things that don't come pre-assembled. I'm just not mechanically-inclined that way (and I hate to ask for help).
But sometimes it can't be avoided.
Just ask my brothers about the wraparound desk in my office...or the grill on my patio.
Not sure that the beer and food I supplied were fair payment for all of the work they've done for me. Good thing they love me...
No matter what the job was, they would always tell me that I could do it if I put my mind to it.
And they are probably right.
I don't enjoy mechanical assembly so I'm pretty sure I have a mental roadblock that gets in my way most of the time.
So, when I wanted a smaller desk for my office to use for writing and personal work, I decided I would try to do it myself.
The reviews were good and most people said it was pretty easy to assemble.
It only had four legs and two stability bars that had to be attached.
Piece of cake...
Getting the desk out of the box was actually the hard part. It was awkward and packed really tightly.
I read through the instructions up to the part where I had to put the first set of legs on it.
And then I decided I didn't need the instructions anymore. I had a good feel for how this thing would go together.
I've got this! I was feeling pretty darn proud of myself.
Until I got all four legs on and was surveying the parts that were left. The stability bars still needed to be attached. But how?
I sat there for a minute. I looked at the desk and the pieces scattered on the floor around me.
Finally, I picked up the instructions again.
Apparently, I wasn't supposed to put all four legs on at once.
Two legs, then the stability bars, then the other two legs.
Well shoot...looks like I would be getting a lesson in disassembly too!
One by one, I removed the four screws that attached each of the second two legs.
By then I had been at this for more than an hour. I was frustrated with myself for wasting my own time. But I knew I had to see it through.
I followed the instructions step by step from there, even for the steps that seemed obvious.
And a half hour later, the desk was finished.
Looking at the desk fully assembled, you wouldn't know that I did it wrong the first time and had to start over.
I think that's true of most things in life. And not just the ones that require mechanical assembly.
On the surface, you have no clue how much time it took to put them together, and most of the time you can't see the imperfections caused by the trips and falls along the way.
But usually there's been a process to get there.
Multiple parts and pieces, a few choice words when things go wrong, and then that sense of pride at the end when you see the finished product.
Until the next time assembly is required.
Or disassembly...
If you've realized that something wasn't put together properly in the first place.
Which can happen from time to time.
And there aren't always instructions to follow.
In those cases, you just keep trying until all the pieces finally come together.
Assembly required. Those can be scary words.
They don't have to be though.
The process may be tedious and frustrating, but the outcome is almost always worth it.
Visit my author page on Amazon
Or find my book at Barnes and Noble
And at our local Oconomowoc Bookstore - Books & Company
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